Amateur-built VANS RV-3 accident near Corcoran, California, July 20, 1995
On July 20, 1995 at about 5:20 pm local time, a amateur-built VANS RV-3, registered N18DT, was destroyed in an accident near Corcoran, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1995 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Corcoran, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VANS RV-3
- Registration
- N18DT · registry record · serial 459
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE CRUISING ABOUT 4,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING AT A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP HE NOTICED WHILE DESCENDING. A GROUND WITNESS WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT GLIDING DOWN TOWARDS A FIELD. THE WITNESS SAID THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A CLIMB FROM ABOUT 150 FEET AGL, THEN TURNED RAPIDLY TO THE LEFT AND 'CORK-SCREWED TO THE GROUND' IN A COTTON FIELD. AFTER RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE COTTON FIELD, THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE WERE EXAMINED BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR WHO FOUND NO DISCREPANCY IN EITHER THE WRECKAGE OR THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND SENT TO AN FAA CERTIFIED ENGINE OVERHAUL SHOP FOR EVALUATION. THE OVERHAUL SHOP FOUND NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES WITH THE ENGINE.
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: 800 hours in all; 112 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 462 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 2, 1995; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: L45 Bakersfield CA at 4:50 pm
- Destination: FCH Fresno CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from NLC, 30 miles away
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 LAX95LA258.