NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ERA24LA039
Registry · N2606A
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
VAN'S AIRCRAFT RV-4
Year of manufacture
2006 · 17 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING O-360-A1A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20060818
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A28228
Registrant of record
GARRARD MARK E
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot’s inadvertent application of nose down pitch trim during the attempted aborted landing, which resulted in abnormal contact with the runway.
Factual narrative
The pilot purchased the airplane the day prior to the accident. During the landing at the destination airport, the airplane bounced, and the pilot intended to abort the landing; however, he accidentally advanced the elevator trim lever, rather than the throttle lever (which were similarly positioned and shaped). The airplane subsequently touched down a second time nose-low, resulting in damage to the main landing gear and propeller. Several fuselage tubes were also substantially damaged during the landing. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Incorrect use/operation
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2023_ERA24LA039.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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