History of Flight
On December 22, 2021, at approximately 1639 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built RV-6A, registration N6000Z, was destroyed in an accident near Show Low, Arizona. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
An airport employee reported observing two airplanes on final approach. The lead airplane, a Cessna, was at a lower altitude, and the accident airplane was descending toward it. The Cessna pilot was broadcasting on the common traffic advisory frequency, but no transmissions were heard from the accident pilot. The employee radioed a warning that the two airplanes were about to collide. The Cessna pilot aborted the landing and turned north. Shortly after, the accident pilot transmitted that he was on the wrong frequency and also aborted to the north. As the accident airplane continued the turn at low altitude, it appeared to stall and immediately entered a nosedive toward the ground.
Another witness reported seeing the two airplanes in close proximity on final, with the second airplane descending toward the first. The first airplane turned north, and about five seconds later, the second airplane also turned north. The witness observed the second airplane's wing dip, followed by a nose-low descent toward the ground.
The Cessna pilot stated that he did not see the accident airplane and only aborted his landing after hearing the warning transmission.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on May 5, 2015, without limitations. On his application, he reported 5 total hours of flight experience, all within the previous 6 months. The pilot's logbooks were not located during the investigation.
Meteorological Information
Based on environmental conditions at the time of the accident, the density altitude at the accident site was estimated to be approximately 7,423 feet.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted terrain near the edge of a dry lakebed. The first point of impact showed marks consistent with the wings and propeller hub in a near-vertical attitude. Most of the wreckage was contained within the main wreckage site, and a post-impact fire consumed the majority of the airplane.
Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine found no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Additional Information
The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C) describes that at a given gross weight, configuration, CG, power, and environmental conditions, an airplane stalls at the same indicated airspeed in unaccelerated flight. However, stalls can occur at higher airspeeds when the airplane experiences acceleration greater than +1G, such as during turns, pull-ups, or other abrupt flightpath changes. These are termed accelerated maneuver stalls and can be more aggressive than unaccelerated stalls. Such stalls may surprise an inexperienced pilot, and failure to execute an immediate recovery could lead to a spin or loss of control.