Amateur-built DSA-1 accident near El Cajon, California, January 7, 1996
On January 7, 1996 at about 4:34 pm local time, a amateur-built DSA-1, registered N66TD, was destroyed in an accident near El Cajon, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's intentional operation of the aircraft with known mechanical deficiencies in the engine, and his 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
- January 7, 1996 · about 4:34 pm local time
- Place
- El Cajon, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DSA-1
- Registration
- N66TD · registry record · serial LEK1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness saw the pilot and mechanic working on the magnetos, then reinstall them in the aircraft on January 6. After reinstallation, the engine was started and it ran extremely rough, with backfiring and missing evident. The witness said the pilot and the mechanic were never able to get the engine to smooth out. On the morning of the accident, the witness saw the pilot bring the airplane out of his hangar and start it. As on the day before, the engine backfired and ran very roughly. The pilot then taxied away and departed for a neighboring airport. The pilot contacted the ATCT for a landing clearance, then canceled the request a short time later. The pilot indicated he was going to return to his home airport. Firefighters at a fire station near the accident site heard and saw the airplane as it flew over their location. They said the engine was running rough, missing, and backfiring. The aircraft circled an athletic field at a nearby school twice, then began a landing approach. The witnesses said the airplane stalled in a turn and crashed nose first into the field. A fire erupted immediately, which consumed the aircraft. The airframe and engine were examined by FAA inspectors. The engine accessories, including both magnetos and portions of their respective ignition harnesses, were either heavily damaged or destroyed by fire. Compression was noted in all cylinders with accessory gear and valve train continuity established. A Stromberg model NA-S2A1 carburetor was installed on the engine. The carburetor is not approved for installation on the Continental O-200 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 572 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 6, 1996; 1 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SDM San Diego CA at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from SEE, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX96LA085.