Amateur-built VANS RV 6 accident near Garland, North Carolina, October 12, 2016
On October 12, 2016 at about 4:50 pm local time, a 2002 amateur-built VANS RV 6, registered N164N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Garland, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing on the grass runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 2016 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Garland, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VANS RV 6 A, built 2002
- Registration
- N164N · registry record · serial 25564
- 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 landing at his private grass runway, the airplane "skipped" during the initial landing touchdown. Subsequently, as the airplane settled back to the runway, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot further reported that the grass was "soft." The vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that the nose gear failed during the landing. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI) who spoke with the pilot postaccident, the pilot reported to him that the airplane bounced during the landing touchdown and when the airplane settled back to the runway, the nose gear had been damaged and further sunk into the grass runway. A photo provided by the FAA ASI showed an initial impact mark about 100 feet prior to the location where the airplane nosed over. It is likely that the nose gear was damaged during the initial touchdown.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
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 › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,828.8 hours in all; 525 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 23, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 525 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 12, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AQX Allendale SC at 3:45 pm
- Destination: Garland NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from KCPC, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N164N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 GAA17CA028.