Hall RV-6 accident near Blair, Nebraska, November 25, 1997
On November 25, 1997 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Hall RV-6, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N36AH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Blair, Nebraska (Eagle 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
a fatigue failure of the torque tube outside of the weld and the fractured pilot's side left rudder pedal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 1997 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Blair, Nebraska · Eagle Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hall RV-6, amateur-built
- Registration
- N36AH · registry record · serial 20814
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that during the initial takeoff, as the tail wheel came off the ground, the airplane began to 'fishtail.' When the pilot made rudder corrections, the airplane's directional control got worse. The airplane became airborne entering an uncontrolled left turn. The pilot said that he did not have 'positive response' when he turned back parallel to the runway. The pilot reduced power to land. The nose of the airplane tracked right away from the runway heading. The pilot tried to turn back to the left, but the airplane's controls would not respond. The pilot reduced the power to idle and impacted the ground in a left nose down slip approximately 20 feet left of the runway. Examination of the airplane's rudder controls revealed a fracture outside of the weld attaching the base of a T-shaped bar beneath the pilot's left rudder pedal to the torque tube connecting the left rudder pedals to the left and right seats. Further examination of the broken parts revealed a fatigue crack on the torque tube, originating on the rear outside portion of the fracture.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,890 hours in all; 429 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 3,530 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 439 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 1997; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K46 at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,450 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from OMA, 20 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.