Amateur-built RV-6T accident near North Plains, Oregon, October 7, 1995
On October 7, 1995 at about 9:45 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-6T, registered N96VA, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Plains, Oregon. 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
Fuel starvation due to the failure of the left tank fuel quantity sending unit which resulted in a false indication of fuel quantity. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 1995 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- North Plains, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-6T
- Registration
- N96VA · registry record · serial 2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on approach for landing, the pilot selected the left fuel tank which was indicating more than 3/4 full. About 1/2 mile from the end of the runway, the engine lost all power. The pilot made a forced landing in a field of raspberries, and during the landing flare the aircraft collided with steel fence posts and static wires used to support the raspberries. The left tank was found dry. An internal failure in the left tank fuel quantity sending unit had caused it to give a false indication.
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: 489 hours in all; 339 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 456 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 189 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 15, 1995; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4S1 Gold Beach OR at 8:15 pm
- Destination: 10R3
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N96VA 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 SEA96LA004.