Amateur-built RV-6 accident near Newark, Illinois, April 20, 2008
On April 20, 2008 at about 5:20 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-6, registered N606JP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Newark, Illinois (Cushing Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power due to the fracture of the number 4 exhaust valve, and the pilot's decision to shut-down the engine without sufficient altitude to ensure a safe glide path to the runway. Contributing to the accident was the barbed wire fence located at the end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2008 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Newark, Illinois · Cushing Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-6
- Registration
- N606JP · registry record · serial 21099
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during cruise flight he heard a bang and then the engine began to run rough. He immediately diverted to a nearby airport and entered the traffic pattern for a precautionary landing. As the airplane turned onto final approach, he saw an ultralight taxiing on the far-end of the runway that would interfere with his landing roll. He decided to perform a go-around and increased engine power. On the second approach, as the airplane was turning onto final approach, the pilot intentionally shut-down the engine by switching off the ignition and fuel selector. The airplane's main landing gear impacted a barbed-wire fence that bordered the approach end of the runway. The right wing leading edge received substantial impact damage. The propeller and engine support structure were damaged, and the main landing gear had collapsed. During a post-accident inspection, compression was noted on cylinder numbers 1, 2, and 3 when the engine crankshaft was rotated. No compression was noted on the number 4 cylinder. The number 4 exhaust valve was fractured and missing approximately 180-degrees of its valve head. The engine had a total time of 1,996.1 hours and had accumulated 537.1 hours since its last overhaul.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 709 hours in all; 338 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 537.1 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C09 Morris IL at 4:45 pm
- Destination: 0C8 Newark IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,831 ft by 180 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 5:25 pm from C09, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.