Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for gusting crosswinds, which resulted in a bounced landing and nose-over.
NTSB analysis
The pilot/owner was landing at his home airport with a 60°, 10-knot crosswind that was gusting to 14 knots. The pilot stated the wind was "a little gusty" at the time and that the airplane was "right at stall speed" at touchdown. The airplane touched down on the right main landing gear (MLG) and then the left MLG before the pilot lowered the nose landing gear (NLG). He said that, when the NLG touched down, the airplane bounced into a very nose-high attitude, so he "pushed the nose over," and the propeller struck the ground, the airplane nosed over, and it then came to rest inverted. The pilot was seriously injured, and the airframe sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and vertical stabilizer. According to the pilot/owner, the performance and handling of the airplane on the day of the accident was "fine; you couldn't ask for a better airplane."
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA17CA013 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Oct 11, 2016
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Bell, Florida
- Nearest airport
- Flying Harness Farms (37FL)
- Highest injury
- Serious
- Serious injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Amateur-built RV6 A
- N-number
- N686RM
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2006
- 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.