Amateur-built VANS RV-6 accident near Salmon, Idaho, September 5, 1993
On September 5, 1993 at about 3:30 pm local time, a amateur-built VANS RV-6, registered N16JL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salmon, Idaho (Flying B Ranch Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE PIC IN HIS FAILURE TO CLOSE THE FUEL DRAIN VALVE. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FENCE POST LOCATED IN THE LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 1993 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salmon, Idaho · Flying B Ranch Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VANS RV-6
- Registration
- N16JL · registry record · serial 20958
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT TOOK OFF, CLIMBED TO ABOUT 50 FEET AGL, AND THE ENGINE QUIT. HE INITIATED A FORCED LANDING AND THE ACFT STRUCK A FENCE POST DURING GROUND ROLL. A POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THE GASCOLATOR FUEL DRAIN WAS LOCKED IN THE OPEN POSITION.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 7,300 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 139 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 11, 1993; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: MYL Mccall ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,000 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:14 pm from SMN, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 SEA93LA192.