Amateur-built GVD1 accident near Sacramento, California, April 5, 1996
On April 5, 1996 at about 4:00 pm local time, a amateur-built GVD1, registered N94GV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sacramento, California (Riego Flight Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a low altitude turn after takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 1996 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sacramento, California · Riego Flight Strip
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GVD1
- Registration
- N94GV · registry record · serial GVD1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, at 200 feet above ground level he made an initial climbing turn and his experimental homebuilt airplane snap-rolled. He indicated that he recovered from the roll, but had insufficient remaining altitude to avoid colliding with the underlying rough terrain.
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: 727 hours in all; 59 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 46 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 1996; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2Q0 at 3:59 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,380 ft by 35 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 LAX96LA161.