Amateur-built RV-6 accident near Decatur, Nebraska, January 23, 2006
On January 23, 2006, a amateur-built RV-6, registered N242EV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Decatur, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inflight collision with the terrain for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 23, 2006
- Place
- Decatur, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-6
- Registration
- N242EV · no longer on the register · serial 20778
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted the terrain in an open field. There were no known witnesses to the accident. The pilot's wife reported that she last saw him between 1120 and 1130 on the day of the accident. The pilot had told her that he was going to fly and that this was probably going to be his last flight in the airplane as he was preparing to sell the airplane. The pilot kept the airplane in a building on his farm and routinely used a gravel road near the farm for taking off and landing. One of the pilot's neighbors reported that he saw the pilot around 1130 in the building where he kept the airplane. He stated they waved to each other, but did not speak. This same neighbor found the wreckage in the field which was located about 1/2 mile from the pilot's farm. The airplane impacted the terrain in a nose down attitude and bounced about 15 feet prior to coming to rest. The propeller and left main gear were located at the initial point of impact with the terrain. The underside of the leading edges of both wings were crushed at a near 45-degree angle. Both fuel tanks were ruptured. Aileron, elevator, and rudder flight control continuity was established, however the rudder cables were bound up under the cockpit flooring due to impact damage. The propeller hub was separated from the engine and was buried approximately 12-inches deep in the ground at the initial impact site. Both blades were twisted and remained attached to the hub. Post accident inspection of the airplane and engine failed to reveal any failure/malfunction which would have resulted in the accident. The pilot was denied a medical certificate due to a history of malignant melanoma with metastasis. According to the pilot's wife he was recently informed that the cancer had spread and he had four to six months to live.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,551 hours in all; 26 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 631 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 1, 2005; 631.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,786 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Decatur NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from TQE, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.