Amateur-built RV6 accident near Rose Hill, Kansas, June 1, 2019
On June 1, 2019 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2006 amateur-built RV6, registered N787TL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Rose Hill, Kansas (Butler Airpark airport). 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's unintentional engagement of the brakes before landing, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2019 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rose Hill, Kansas · Butler Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV6, built 2006
- Registration
- N787TL · no longer on the register · serial 25819
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while landing on a grass runway, the airplane nosed over. The pilot acknowledged that he likely landed with the brake pedals depressed. He checked the wheels, and they moved freely. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 10 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 210° at 8 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 19.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Unintentional use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 463 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 368 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 657.9 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Superior Air Parts (piston); 658 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4KS7 Douglass KS at 11:10 pm
- Destination: 4KS7 Douglass KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,687 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from KIAB, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2019. 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 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.