Amateur-built RV-6A accident near Bow, Washington, March 24, 2012
On March 24, 2012 at about 10:30 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-6A, registered N238RV, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Bow, Washington. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot’s mismanagement of the fuel supply.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2012 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bow, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-6A
- Registration
- N238RV · registry record · serial 23880
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed two touch-and-go landings then departed to his destination airport. As the airplane climbed through 2,300 feet mean sea level, the pilot heard a loud "clunk." The engine experienced a total loss of power, and the airplane began to descend. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to a field in an effort to perform an off-airport, emergency landing. Prior to touchdown, the landing gear collided with a barbed wire fence and the airplane nosed over. During the wreckage recovery, the right fuel tank was found empty and the left tank contained about 22 gallons of aviation fuel. The pilot reported that he believed that the fuel selector was positioned on the left tank at the time of the loss of power. He did not attempt to restart the engine following the loss of power due to the airplane's low altitude. At the time of the airframe examination, the fuel selector was found in the off position. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the fuel selector was in fact positioned to the empty fuel tank and the reason for the loss of engine power was due to fuel starvation.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Fuel starvation during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 302 hours in all; 25 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 9, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 682 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 13, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-Exp (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BVS Burlington WA at 10:10 pm
- Destination: BLI Bellingham WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from BVS, 8 miles away
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 WPR12LA146.