NTSB Factual Report

On April 28, 2001, about 1405 Pacific daylight time, a Motley Vans RV-6A, N51DA, was destroyed when it collided with terrain about 14 miles west of Baker, California. The private pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The personal cross-country flight departed Chino, California, at an unknown time. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 35 degrees 11.84 minutes north latitude and 116 degrees 04.68 minutes west longitude.

A sheriff's deputy interviewed the pilot's son. The pilot delayed his departure from Chino due to weather. He was to overfly the son at a ranch retreat so the son would know to pick him up at Baker. The pilot flew over the ranch one time and made radio contact with his son. The pilot was attempting a second pass and he told his son that he could not fly close to the mountains due to the high winds. The son said that as the airplane passed over, it rolled to the left, and then sharply to the right before descending to the ground.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accident coordinator inspected the wreckage at the accident scene. He observed a ground scar that was about 2-feet long. The wreckage covered an area about 50 yards in diameter. The wreckage site contained all of the control surfaces and flight control continuity could not be determined due to impact damage. The leading edges of both wings were crushed aft, and both of the propeller blades exhibited S-bends.

A toxicology exam was completed at the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The results were positive for Ethanol, Acetaldehyde and N-Propanol, which were detected in kidney tissue samples. No Ethanol was detected in the muscle tissue submitted. The toxicology report notes that the ethanol found may potentially be from postmortem ethanol formation and not from the ingestion of ethanol.

The unedited surface weather observation (METAR) for Daggett Field (DAG), Barstow, California reported gusty wind conditions up to 24 knots at the time of the accident. Barstow was located approximately 50 miles from the accident site.

A review of maintenance records for the airplane revealed that an inspection was completed in accordance with 14 CFR Part 43, Appendix D, on December 18, 2000.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude, which led to an inadvertent stall/spin. The wind gusts were a factor.