Probable cause
The gopher holes and soft terrain the airplane encountered, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
NTSB analysis
The pilot landed the airplane at a private airstrip where the airplane contacted gopher mounds and soft ground. The nose landing gear collapsed, the airplane nosed over, and it sustained substantial empennage damage. The pilot said that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13CA545 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Sep 10, 2013
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Mullen, Nebraska
- Nearest airport
- Private Airstrip (PVT)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Amateur-built RANS S-6ES
- N-number
- N611WE
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.