Vans Aircraft RV-4 accident near Van Horn, Texas, August 16, 1996
On August 16, 1996 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Vans Aircraft RV-4, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered XBINF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Van Horn, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of engine power due to a cracked oil cooler, which led to the loss of all lubricating oil and an engine seizure. The lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 1996 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Van Horn, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Vans Aircraft RV-4, amateur-built
- Registration
- XBINF · no longer on the register · serial 3544
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, 'about an hour into the flight I noticed oil running down the inside of the firewall. The oil pressure gauge showed low oil pressure to the engine.' The pilot further stated that he reduced power and began a gradual descent toward the nearest airport. Approximately 12 miles from Van Horn, Texas, the 'engine failed completely.' The pilot performed a forced landing to an area of brush and sand dunes, and the airplane came to rest in an inverted position. Postcrash examination of the engine's oil cooler revealed a crack in the first drawn cup tube.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 632 hours in all; 137 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 549 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-BIF (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Custom Aircraft
The flight
- Departed from: DMN Deming NM at 2:30 pm
- Destination: UVA Uvalde TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.