Amateur-built Vans RV6 accident near San Jose, California, January 10, 2002
On January 10, 2002 at about 9:45 pm local time, a amateur-built Vans RV6, registered N164DF, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Jose, California (Reid-Hillview Of Santa Clara C airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the pilot to sufficiently slow the airplane prior to exiting the runway, which lead to the left main landing gear collapsing and a subsequent ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 2002 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- San Jose, California · Reid-Hillview Of Santa Clara C · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Vans RV6
- Registration
- N164DF · registry record · serial 24606
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the landing rollout the airplane exited the runway, collapsing the left main landing gear, and coming to rest after it had ground looped. The pilot had been practicing full stop landings and his last landing was the accident landing. On the landing rollout the pilot did not slow down enough to exit the runway. Skid marks were observed at the intersection of taxiway Delta and runway 31L where he had attempted to exit. The airplane's landing gear system was inspected with no mechanical anomalies noted.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,571 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,419 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 3, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 255 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 2001; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Jose CA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: RHV San Jose CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31L, 3,099 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from RHV
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX02LA067.