Amateur-built MA-34R accident near San Jose, California, August 24, 2009
On August 24, 2009, a amateur-built MA-34R (weight-shift aircraft), registered N2356W, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near San Jose, California (Reid Hillview airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. 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 aircraft control during engine startup, which resulted in a collision with parked aircraft. Contributing to the accident was the engine's inadvertent increase to high power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2009
- Place
- San Jose, California · Reid Hillview · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MA-34R
- Registration
- N2356W · registry record · serial 028816 PCM
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The sport pilot instructor completed a lesson with a student and was planning to return to his home airport. While starting the engine, the power immediately increased and the airplane lurched forward. Over the course of several seconds, the airplane continued forward and collided with two parked airplanes. A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal the reason for the engine's sudden increase of 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
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up)
- Ground collision during standing (engine(s) start-up)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › (general) › Not specified
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: sport pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Jose CA
- Destination: E16 San Martin CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 WPR09LA413.