Event WPR20LA014

Factual narrative

On October 23, 2019, about 1200 Pacific daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built RV-6 airplane, N615RJ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Spanaway, Washington. The pilot sustained minor injury and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was and operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the initial taxi and engine run-up were normal; however, during the takeoff roll, the engine sputtered and the pilot aborted the takeoff. A subsequent engine run-up revealed no anomalies, and the pilot elected to take off again. As the airplane climbed through about 200 ft above ground level, the engine began to sputter and, shortly after, lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing to an open field near the airport, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported 18 gallons of fuel onboard before departure. The engine was examined following recovery from the accident site. The engine controls were continuous from the cockpit to the engine. The crankshaft was rotated by hand at the propeller and continuity was established through the valve train. Thumb compression was obtained on each cylinder. Both left and right magnetos produced spark at their terminal leads. The top spark plugs were removed and displayed normal operating signatures. Functional testing of the engine-driven fuel pump and throttle body injector revealed no anomalies. An unquantified amount of fuel remained in each of the wing fuel tanks and displayed no evidence of contamination. The amount of fuel onboard at the time of the accident was not determined. The pilot reported that the initial taxi and engine run-up were normal; however, during the takeoff roll, the engine sputtered and the pilot aborted the takeoff. A subsequent engine run-up revealed no anomalies, and the pilot elected to take off again. As the airplane climbed through about 200 ft above ground level, the engine began to sputter and, shortly after, lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing to an open field near the airport, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported 18 gallons of fuel onboard before departure. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The amount of fuel onboard at the time of the accident was not determined, but the fuel remaining in the wing tanks after the accident did not display evidence of contamination. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information. 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).

• — Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined
• — Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine (reciprocating)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined