Accident Details
On November 7, 2008, about 1430 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built RV-6, registration N8LK, was substantially damaged during an aborted landing at Covington Airport (VA72), Martinsville, Virginia. The certificated private pilot was killed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The airplane was on approach to land on runway 30, a 2,200-foot-long, 100-foot-wide turf runway. A witness, a friend of the pilot, stated that the airplane touched down left of the runway centerline, "a little long, but not excessive," and bounced approximately 3 feet high. As the airplane settled toward the runway, the pilot added full engine power, and the airplane touched down a second time. It then lifted off, pitched nose-up, and yawed to the left, with flaps extended. The airplane struck small tree branches on the left side of the runway before the pilot corrected back to the right. The airplane was "struggling for altitude, with the nose high as it approached the right side of the runway." Shortly after, when about 20 to 30 feet above ground, it began a slow left yaw and roll. The airplane's left wing impacted the runway, followed by the propeller and right wing, in a near-vertical attitude. It came to rest on the runway, approximately 180 degrees from its initial approach heading.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions in the flight or engine controls. The flaps were observed at the 10-degree setting. The forward left wing attach point was sheared, and the fuselage was buckled just aft of the main cabin. The inspector noted that the airplane contacted several tree limbs up to 1/2-inch in diameter on the left side of the runway. The airplane had accumulated approximately 463 total hours at the time of its most recent condition inspection on September 18, 2008.
The pilot, age 71, reported 1,300 hours of total flight experience on his most recent FAA third-class medical certificate application, issued December 6, 2006. His friend stated that the pilot had accumulated about 800 flight hours in an RV-4, had flown the accident airplane previously, and had landed at VA72 on numerous occasions.
Post-Accident Findings
An autopsy performed on November 8, 2008, by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia listed the cause of death as "multiple blunt force injuries." Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team was negative for alcohol but positive for atropine (0.063 ug/ml in blood), chlorpheniramine (in blood and urine), and naproxen (in blood).
Weather at 1419, from an airport about 13 miles southeast, reported wind from 200 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 24°C, dew point 9°C, and altimeter 29.52 inches of mercury.