Amateur-built Vans RV-6 accident near Turlock, California, October 28, 2006
On October 28, 2006 at about 11:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Vans RV-6, registered N1198N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Turlock, California (Turlock Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were 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 broken piston rings in the no. 4 cylinder. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in a stall/mush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2006 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Turlock, California · Turlock Municipal Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Vans RV-6
- Registration
- N1198N · no longer on the register · serial 20540
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a partial loss of engine power and collided with the ground during the pilot's attemp to return to the departure runway. After reaching about 500 feet above ground level (agl) in the takeoff initial climb, the pilot noted a loss of engine revolutions per minute (rpm) and a decrease in airspeed. He maneuvered the airplane in a 180-degree turn in an attempt to return to the runway. The airplane stalled and the pilot attempted to recover. The airplane entered an accelerated stall again and descended rapidly. Upon impact, the airplane touched down hard, subsequently nosing over and coming to rest inverted. The pilot performed a post-accident examination of the engine and discovered that both spark plugs in the no. 4 cylinder were oil fouled. Additional investigation found that two of the rings on the number four piston were broken, allowing oil to move past the piston into the combustion chamber.
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: 3,285 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,700 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 1, 2005; 300 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 Series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O15 Turlock CA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: O15
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,985 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots, gusting 7
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from MOD, 14 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.
Other NTSB records under N1198N 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.