Amateur-built RV6 N13KN accident near Monticello, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot's loss of aircraft control during the initial climb.

NTSB analysis

Several eyewitnesses reported seeing the airplane as it was in the initial climb phase. They said that the airplane rolled to the left into a near 90-degree bank, descended, collided with the ground, and then exploded. The engine continued to operate at high power until ground impact. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of a preimpact failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Results of postmortem toxicology testing on the pilot were consistent with the use of a prescription antidepressant. The medication levels obtained from blood samples were on the lower end of the therapeutic range. The role of any possible impairment from the medication or the condition for which the medication was prescribed could not be conclusively determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA11LA022 for the full record.