Fouga 6 CM 170 accident near San Joaquin, California, April 9, 2000
On April 9, 2000 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Fouga 6 CM 170, registered N495F, was destroyed in an accident near San Joaquin, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's intentional performance of aerobatic maneuvers that resulted in the aircraft stalling and entering a spin from which he did not recover. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2000 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- San Joaquin, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fouga 6 CM 170
- Registration
- N495F · no longer on the register · serial 495
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The evening before the accident the second pilot told his fiancee he and the pilot were going to perform 'maneuvers, top gun type of stuff.' A witness observed the ex-military jet airplane perform two loops and two roll maneuvers. At the end of the second roll the witness observed the aircraft enter a spin from about 2,000 feet above ground level. This witness and two additional witnesses then observed the airplane descend in a spin to the left accompanied by loud engine noise. Two of the witnesses reported that when the airplane was about 200 feet agl it appeared the spin stopped and the nose of the aircraft was coming up to a level flight attitude when the airplane rolled abruptly to the right and spun to the ground. The wreckage distribution was consistent with a high energy, steep flight path angle, impact with the ground. The pilot was a former helicopter and utility aircraft pilot in the U.S. Army. He received 6 hours of training in the accident aircraft about 2 months before the accident, which did not include any aerobatic training. He stated his intent to return for additional training, to include aerobatics, at a later date after he was more experienced in the aircraft. The pilot was issued an FAA Letter of Authority to operate the experimental-category aircraft about 3 weeks before the accident.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,062 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3,659 as pilot in command; 471 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,247 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 21, 1999; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,055 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Turbomeca MARBORE VI F2 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FCH Fresno CA at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from FAT, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.