Amateur-built RV 6 accident near Monument Valley, Utah, June 27, 2019
On June 27, 2019 at about 5:42 pm local time, a 1992 amateur-built RV 6, registered N475AH, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Monument Valley, Utah (Monument Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during the aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2019 · about 5:42 pm local time
- Place
- Monument Valley, Utah · Monument Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV 6 Undesignat, built 1992
- Registration
- N475AH · registry record · serial 20475
- 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, the airplane bounced hard. He applied full power and aborted the landing. He recalled that he "must have allowed the front end to come up too high," which led to the airplane stalling and veering left. The left wing and then the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) 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 › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 446.2 hours in all; 216.3 in this make and model; 47.9 in the last 90 days; 26.1 in the last 30 days; 355.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 20, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0E0 Moriarty NM at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 0E0 Moriarty NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from KPGA, 60 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 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 | Photo | 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.