Amateur-built VANS RV6 accident near Suffolk, Virginia, May 31, 2014
On May 31, 2014 at about 1:44 pm local time, a 2006 amateur-built VANS RV6, registered N6RP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Suffolk, Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot/builder's decision to use a lubricant that was not designed for high-speed aviation applications, which resulted in the failure of the propeller needle thrust bearing due to the loss of lubrication from overheating, a total loss of aerodynamic thrust, and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2014 · about 1:44 pm local time
- Place
- Suffolk, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VANS RV6, built 2006
- 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
According to the pilot, who was also the owner/builder of the experimental amateur-built airplane, while operating about 2,000 ft mean sea level, the engine rpm went to redline, the airplane lost thrust, and a red fluid covered the windscreen. The pilot attempted a forced landing to a field, but the airplane impacted trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies to the engine or gearbox. Examination of the propeller showed that the fine pitch stop nuts were missing. The propeller needle thrust bearing and mating parts were galled, burned, and damaged from rotational and thermal wear. The heat damage likely initiated at the needle thrust bearing and progressed both fore and aft to the blade pin spool and slave piston collar, respectively. The Delrin bushing melted after the heat reached the blade pin spool, which allowed the propeller pins to make bare metal contact with the spool pin slots. With the absence of stop nuts, the propeller blade angle could decrease below a 0-thrust angle, and the melted Delrin bushings allowed the propeller blade angles to decrease an additional 6 degrees in the negative direction. The cumulative effect of both events was a total loss of aerodynamic thrust. About 28 flight hours before the accident, the pilot/builder used a viscous lubricant to grease the bearings in the propeller assembly. According to the lubricant manufacturer, the lubricant has a high viscosity and was designed for low-speed automotive and trucking applications not for aviation use. Lubricants with high viscosities can cause the bearing to skid, which can result in rapid overheating and failure of the bearing.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Grease › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller hub section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller hub section › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Owner/builder
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,418.3 hours in all; 242.1 in this make and model; 21.7 in the last 90 days; 9.6 in the last 30 days; 1,418.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 27, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 247 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 9, 2013; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EJ 25 (piston); 247 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W78 South Boston VA at 12:30 pm
- Destination: SFQ Suffolk VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from SFQ, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on April 8, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Gearbox/propeller Exam Factual Report | PDF, 20 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Report and Record | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpt from Propeller Logbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Excerpt from Propeller Hub Instructions | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Vari-prop System Description | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Fly-in Event Instructions | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Materials Laboratory Parts Return Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Release of Wreckage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Photograph 1: Airplane at Rest at Accident Site (Courtesy of Recovery Team) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Photograph 2: Airplane at Rest at Accident Site (Courtesy of Recovery Team) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Photograph 3: Propeller Hub (Courtesy of Recovery Team) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.