Amateur-built KIS accident near Camarillo, California, January 10, 2006
On January 10, 2006 at about 5:00 pm local time, a amateur-built KIS, registered N506RJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Camarillo, California (Camarillo Airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a partial loss of engine power due to the engine's electronic control system reverting to a designed reduced power mode of operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 2006 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Camarillo, California · Camarillo Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KIS
- Registration
- N506RJ · no longer on the register · serial 045
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental airplane experienced a partial loss of engine power in the takeoff initial climb, and collided with obstacles and terrain during an emergency landing in an open field to the west of the airport. The pilot stated that he was taking the newly constructed airplane for its second flight. The engine that was installed in the airplane was a automotive Subaru EJ20. He took off from runway 26 and was climbing at 90 mph. Everything seemed normal and then he noticed that his airspeed was 60 mph and the engine sound had decreased. There were no pops or abnormal engine sounds associated with the decrease in airspeed and the engine rpm was down at 1,700 instead of the normal 6,000. The pilot immediately manipulated the throttle to ensure it was fully opened, he then turned the ignition switch off and on in an attempt to reset the electronic engine control. Both actions failed to regain full power of the engine. He notified the tower that he had lost engine power. He decided to land in a field that was off the end of the runway. He was flying at 60 mph and had a rate of descent of a couple of hundred feet per minute. He made an forced landing into the field and was assisted by emergency responders shortly afterwards. The pilot said that the Subaru engine has a reduced power mode intended to operate the engine at a substantially reduced power output if an engine problem was detected by the engine electronic control system computer. He thinks that the engine switched to this low power mode shortly after takeoff. The method he knew of to correct this situation was to turn the ignition off then back on and this should have cleared the fault and allowed the engine to resume normal power output. The underlying reason for the engine going to the reduced power mode was not determined.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 585 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EJ22 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCMA Camarillo CA
- Destination: KCMA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 6,010 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.