Miller RV6 accident near Williams, California, September 24, 2013
On September 24, 2013 at about 1:57 am local time, a 2001 Miller RV6, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N67GM, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Williams, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper decision to fly at a low altitude, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance from power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2013 · about 1:57 am local time
- Place
- Williams, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Miller RV6 A, built 2001, amateur-built
- Registration
- N67GM · no longer on the register · serial 60149
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported observing the airplane traveling very low and fast over the terrain. They then saw the airplane disappear behind a hill, followed by rising black smoke. During the postaccident on-site examination, the lowest wire of a high-tension power line that crossed over a shallow valley was found broken, and a fragment of the airplane's wing was found hanging from the next higher power line. The main wreckage was located 300 yards north of the power lines, and a postcrash fire had ensued. Toxicological testing detected ethanol in the pilot's tissues; however, the ethanol distribution was not consistent with ingestion and likely resulted from postmortem sources. The testing also detected the opioid medications tramadol and hydrocodone in the pilot's urine, indicating that he had used the medications at some time before the accident. The low level of tramadol in the blood indicates that the pilot was unlikely impaired by it at the time of the accident; however, there was insufficient evidence to determine if he was impaired by the hydrocodone at the time of the accident.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Health/Fitness › Use of medication/drugs › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 9, 2013; 745 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 745 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KWLW Willows-Glenn CA
- Destination: KWLW Willows-Glenn CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KMYV, 27 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.