Vans Aircraft RV6 accident near Halifax, Virginia, October 2, 2007
On October 2, 2007, a Vans Aircraft RV6, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N6RP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Halifax, Virginia. 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 pilot's inadvertent stall during a forced landing. A contributing factor was the pilot's failure to place the electronic prop controller in the manual mode prior to aborting the landing which resulted in a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 2007
- Place
- Halifax, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Vans Aircraft RV6, amateur-built
- Registration
- N6RP · registry record · serial 23075
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot, who was also the builder of the airplane, reported that his approach speed was too high as he was attempting to land at his 1,300-foot-long private airstrip, so he elected to abort the landing. During the go-around, he applied full power and pitched the nose of the airplane up to establish a climb; however, the installed electronic propeller control sensed an over boost condition and reduced the engine power. As result of the power reduction, there was not a sufficient power to maintain altitude and as the pilot was attempting to clear obstacles, the airplane's airspeed got too slow. Subsequently, the airplane stalled and collided with trees. The pilot further stated that he had forgotten to place the electronic propeller control switch in the manual mode when he applied full power, which would have prevented the loss of power. The pilot was not injured and was able to egress from the airplane unassisted.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru 165 HP (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Halifax VA
- Destination: Halifax VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N6RP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.