Amateur-built RV6A accident near Onalaska, Washington, November 24, 2008
On November 24, 2008 at about 9:30 pm local time, a amateur-built RV6A, registered N164LT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Onalaska, Washington (Onalaska - Private 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper decision to land with a tailwind, which resulted in the runway overrun. Contributing to the accident was the tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2008 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Onalaska, Washington · Onalaska - Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV6A
- Registration
- N164LT · registry record · serial 21633
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot of the experimental airplane reported that he was landing at the private airstrip in windy conditions. He said that he landed on runway 27 with a 20-knot tailwind and was unable to stop before the end of the 1,100-foot runway. The airplane continued beyond the end of the runway and collided with a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported.
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
- Landing area overshoot during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Decision related to condition
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 1,510 hours in all; 294 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 9, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,006 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 6, 2008; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,632 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S36 Covington WA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: PVT Onalaska WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,100 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 N164LT 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 WPR09CA080.