Dova Aircraft DV-1 accident near San Carlos, California, August 28, 2015
On August 28, 2015, a 2007 Dova Aircraft DV-1, registered N919E, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near San Carlos, California (San Carlos airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to fuel vapor lock. Contributing to the accident was the absence of a fuel return line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2015
- Place
- San Carlos, California · San Carlos · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dova Aircraft DV-1, built 2007
- Registration
- N919E · registry record · serial 06/15
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The sport pilot had flown the special light-sport airplane to the airport earlier in the day and refueled. During his first departure attempt, the engine began to operate roughly, and he aborted the takeoff. After another departure attempt with the same results, he aborted the takeoff and taxied the airplane to a mechanic, who suggested that the airplane was experiencing vapor lock in the fuel system and that he let the engine cool down. The pilot waited and then performed an engine run-up, which appeared normal. He reattempted the departure, but the engine experienced a partial loss of power as the airplane began to climb through 50 to 75 ft. The pilot pitched the airplane down into a nose-low configuration and crashed into a field. Postaccident engine examination did not revealed any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the fuel system revealed that the airplane was not equipped with a mandatory fuel return line, although specified in the engine manufacturer's installation instructions. Manufacturer guidance indicated that the return line prevents malfunctions caused by the formation of vapor lock. A combination electronic flight instrument system and engine monitoring system was installed in the airplane, and the data was downloaded from the unit after the examination. The data showed that during the presumed accident takeoff, the fuel level in one tank was between 0 and .05 gallons and the other was at 10.4 gallons and decreasing. During this time, the fuel flow fluctuated between 1 and 7.1 pounds per square inch, which was consistent with the system containing air bubbles and, with the fuel system not being equipped with any way to vent that air, indicative that a vapor lock scenario was imminent. It is likely that the absence of the fuel return line resulted in the engine losing power due to vapor lock.
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 (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › (general) › Not installed/available
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Flight time: 192 hours in all; 94 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 130 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 27, 2013
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 330 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 12, 2014; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 330 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SQL San Carlos CA
- Destination: DVO Novato CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 WPR15LA251.