Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Virginia Highlands Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Abingdon, Virginia 24210
Sunday, November 6, 2011 15:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The RV-6 was equipped with a radio and the Pitts S-2C was not. Both airplanes were in the airport traffic pattern after completing a local flight, and the pilots were flying a visual approach to runway 24. The pilot of the RV-6 flew a tighter traffic pattern and made radio calls. The pilot of the Pitts flew a wider traffic pattern and did not see the RV-6 ahead and below. As the airplanes landed nearly simultaneously on runway 24, the propeller of the Pitts contacted and partially separated the empennage of the RV-6. The recorded weather at the airport, about the time of the accident, included clear skies, visibility of 10 miles, and wind from 260 degrees at 4 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the Pitts pilot to see and avoid the RV-6 that had landed ahead. Contributing to the accident was the Pitts pilot's inability to hear the RV-6 pilot's radio calls due to the lack of a radio in the Pitts.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/6/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Abingdon |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24210 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 364114N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0820200W |
| Event Location Airport | Virginia Highlands |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | VJI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1455 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VJI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2087 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.33 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | -- |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29961 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 5 2012 1:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N62HS | N177CD |
| NTSB Number | ERA12LA100A | ERA12LA100B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No | No |
| Damage | Substantial | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SIGMON HARVEY E | AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC |
| Aircraft Model | VANS RV 6 | S-2C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20198 | 6069 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1700 | 1700 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2011 12:00AM | Mar 20 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 42 | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | 1080 | 400 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SEATS FRANK R | WHITE JOHN R |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | BRISTOL | ABINGDON |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 24202-3916 | 24211-6187 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | SEATS FRANK R | WHITE JOHN R |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- | -- |
| Operator City | BRISTOL | ABINGDON |
| Operator State | VA | VA |
| Operator Country | USA | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 24202-3916 | 24211-6187 |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | VJI | VJI |
| Departure City | Abingdon | Abingdon |
| Departure State | VA | VA |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 | 1415 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | VJI | VJI |
| Destination City | Abingdon | Abingdon |
| Destination State | VA | VA |
| Destination Country | USA | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 5 2012 1:36PM | Jun 5 2012 1:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 | 24 |
| Runway Length | 4471 | 4471 |
| Runway Width | 75 | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |