Amateur-built RV-6 accident near Woodlake, California, September 6, 1997
On September 6, 1997 at about 4:30 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-6, registered N93SJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodlake, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to accurately determine the quantity of fuel onboard the airplane before flight, and subsequent loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1997 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Woodlake, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-6
- Registration
- N93SJ · registry record · serial 20052
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft's engine lost power soon after takeoff, and an off-airport landing was made 3 miles from the departure airport. During the landing, the airplane hit a fence, then came to rest at a ditch. The pilot, who had recently purchased the airplane, said that after takeoff, he had switched fuel tanks, and then the engine stopped. He said that at departure, one fuel tank was about 1/2 full and the other was about 1/4 full, totaling 21 gallons. An FAA inspector examined the aircraft about 4 hours after the accident. He found no fuel in the left tank of the aircraft, only minimal fuel in the right tank, and no evidence of tank rupture or smell of fuel on the ground. The fuel selector was in the left tank position. The pilot reported he was 'certain' there was fuel in the aircraft, and suspected the engine stoppage was due to a blocked fuel vent or a vapor lock in the fuel supply. A carburetor icing chart showed that conditions were conducive for moderate carburetor icing at cruise power.
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: 1,331 hours in all; 33 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 123 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1997; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O42 at 4:27 pm
- Destination: 0Q4 Selma CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from VIS, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N93SJ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 LAX97LA314.