Amateur-built RV 6A accident near Lorain/Elyria, Ohio, May 23, 2015
On May 23, 2015 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1998 amateur-built RV 6A, registered N3086Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Lorain/Elyria, Ohio (Lorain County Rgnl airport). 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 failure to maintain airplane attitude control during the landing flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, hard landing, and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2015 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lorain/Elyria, Ohio · Lorain County Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV 6A A, built 1998
- Registration
- N3086Q · registry record · serial 23678
- 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 the landing flare, the left wing lifted up and the stall warning horn sounded. He stated the airplane immediately descended, impacted the ground, and slid off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing
- Runway excursion during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 167 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 111 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 13, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,370.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 7, 2015; 395 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2A (piston); 406 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LPR Lorain/Elyria OH at 3:15 pm
- Destination: LPR Lorain/Elyria OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.42 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from LPR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 23, 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 | Memorandum for Record - Pilot (Mcginty) | 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.
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.