Amateur-built RV-6A accident near San Jose, California, July 16, 2004
On July 16, 2004 at about 11:58 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-6A, registered N16TN, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Jose, California (Reid Hill View Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudgment of the airplane's distance/speed during a precautionary landing, which resulted in the airplane overrunning the runway. Contributing factors were failure of an oil line, and the fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2004 · about 11:58 pm local time
- Place
- San Jose, California · Reid Hill View Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-6A
- Registration
- N16TN · registry record · serial 22305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted an airport perimeter fence after the pilot landed long during a precautionary landing. The airplane was in cruise flight when the pilot noticed a loss of oil pressure and an increase in oil temperature. He assumed the engine was losing or had lost its oil and elected to make a precautionary landing at a nearby airport. The pilot reported he landed long and could not stop the airplane prior to the end of the 3,101-foot runway. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed the oil line, from the oil cooler to the engine, failed. The pilot indicated the line was not an aircraft quality line.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,706 hours in all; 79 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,548 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 6, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 598.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 2004; 16.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Luis Obispo CA at 10:50 pm
- Destination: HWD Hayward CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31R, 3,101 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 11:58 pm from RHV
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.
Other NTSB records under N16TN the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.