Amateur-built RV 6 accident near Pima, Arizona, December 5, 2019
On December 5, 2019 at about 10:20 pm local time, a 2000 amateur-built RV 6, registered N616RV, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Pima, Arizona. 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
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 2019 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Pima, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV 6, built 2000
- Registration
- N616RV · registry record · serial 24491
- 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, while the airplane was traveling westbound at 1,100 ft above the ground, the engine stopped producing power without warning. The propeller continued to windmill. The pilot initiated a 180° turn back toward the airport and attempted to restart the engine but was unable to do so. The pilot decided to land the airplane onto a nearby cotton field. When the airplane touched down, the landing gear sunk into the soft dirt, and nosed over. During a postaccident examination, the engine was able to be started, but it operated poorly and was smoking before it stopped producing power. Disassembly of the engine revealed that the two rotors and five of the six apex seals remained intact. The remaining apex seal was fractured in half. It was not possible to determine whether the apex seal fractured before or during the accident sequence. No other anomalies were revealed. The available evidence for this accident precluded a determination of whether the fractured apex seal caused the total loss of engine power.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Failure
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 830 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 853 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,620 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Mazda 13B (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAD Safford AZ at 10:00 pm
- Destination: SAD Safford AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from SAD, 8 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 8, 2022. 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 - Regarding Postaccident Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | On Scene Photo and Map of Flight Path - Courtesy of the Pilot/owner | 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.