Amateur-built VANS RV6A accident near Aztec, Arizona, September 16, 2022

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The pilot and passenger were conducting a cross-country flight. Flight track data showed their flight close to and paralleling an interstate highway one to two miles away when the airplane started a controlled descent. During the descent the airplane made a turn away from the highway, made another turn to parallel the highway, and then made a turn angling toward the highway. The flight continued to descend until it impacted terrain about one mile from the highway. The airplane impacted flat desert terrain in a nose-low attitude and a post-impact fire ensued, which consumed most of the airplane wreckage. There were no reported radio calls from the pilot or witnesses to the accident. Investigators could not determine why the pilot initially turned away from the highway, which could have provided a suitable emergency landing surface. Examination of the engine and propeller found the propeller had broken aft and there were starter ring impact marks of an aft, non-rotational nature. Impact and fire damage prevented any examination of the fuel, air intake, electrical, and ignition systems. There were no signatures or conditions observed during the examination that would indicate there was any pre-accident catastrophic mechanical malfunction. Those findings and the controlled descent made by the airplane from cruise altitude are consistent with a loss of engine power before impact. The nose-down impact attitude is consistent with the airplane entering an aerodynamic stall at low altitude. The accident is consistent with a total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to turn away from a suitable emergency landing surface, his failure to maintain adequate airspeed as the airplane neared the ground, and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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.

Photographs from the investigation 11 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them

Photo 1 – Accident SitePhoto 2 - EnginePhoto 3 – Aft Side of EnginePhoto 4 – Propeller SpinnerPhoto 5 – Propeller HubPhoto 6 – Propeller Blade FragmentsPhoto 7 – Spark Plugs (Lycoming Photo)Photo 8 – Cylinders and Pistons (Lycoming Photo)Photo 9 – Right Engine Case (Lycoming Photo)Photo 10 – Left Engine Case (Lycoming Photo)Photo 11 – Camshaft and Piston Rods (Lycoming Photo)

The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.

Other NTSB records under N646RV the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time