Amateur-built VANS RV-6 accident near Taylorsville, Georgia, November 1, 2011
On November 1, 2011 at about 8:42 pm local time, a amateur-built VANS RV-6, registered N262MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Taylorsville, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane's entry into an uncontrolled descent for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airplane and the pilot’s medical history did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 1, 2011 · about 8:42 pm local time
- Place
- Taylorsville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VANS RV-6
- Registration
- N262MA · registry record · serial 20265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 70-year-old pilot and owner of the amateur-built airplane was conducting a cross-country flight in visual meteorological conditions. The airplane was at an altitude of 6,500 feet when the pilot contacted an en route air traffic control facility. The pilot was provided an altimeter setting and was instructed to remain clear of nearby Class B airspace, which he acknowledged. There were no further communications from the pilot. During the next 8 minutes, the airplane's altitude fluctuated, increasing about 500 feet, before the airplane turned to the right and entered a steep descent. The airplane impacted a field in an almost straight nose down attitude and was highly fragmented. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The airplane had been operated for about 50 hours since its most recent condition inspection, which was performed about 10 months before the accident. The nature of the airplane's departure from controlled flight was consistent with the pilot becoming incapacitated. However, the pilot's son described the pilot as very active and said that he was not aware of the pilot experiencing any health issues. The pilot's health was described as "fine" by his primary care physician during an examination about 6 months before the accident. During the pilot's most recent Federal Aviation Administration medical examination about 7 months before the accident, the pilot reported a history of hypertension, which was previously reported and "well controlled" by three prescription medications that he had previously reported. The injuries sustained by the pilot precluded a determination of whether natural disease caused or contributed to the accident and death.
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 control in flight during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,010 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 607 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 15, 2011; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: P-L Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: IOB Mount Sterling KY at 7:00 pm
- Destination: EUF Eufaula AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from VPC, 5 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA12FA057.