Amateur-built RV6 accident near Wellington, Florida, October 26, 2003
On October 26, 2003 at about 8:15 pm local time, a amateur-built RV6, registered N331JH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wellington, Florida (Wellington Aero Club airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the dual student pilot to maintain airspeed, and the CFI to properly supervise the dual student, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and subsequent impact with an embankment, during a simulated loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2003 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wellington, Florida · Wellington Aero Club · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV6
- Registration
- N331JH · registry record · serial 60594
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an instructional flight the certified flight instructor (CFI) gave the student a simulating loss of engine power at an altitude of 3,500 feet, with the intent that a landing would be performed to the airport's runway. When rolling out of a right turn from base to final, at an altitude of 400 feet, and about 1/4 of a mile from the runway, the airplane stalled, impacting with an embankment.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,596 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 122 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 5,886 as pilot in command; 3,895 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 9, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,069 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 916 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 7, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 85 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 2003; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FD38 Wellington FL at 7:30 pm
- Destination: FD38
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 4,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PBI, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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.