Amateur-built ONEX accident near Fresno, California, January 10, 2016
On January 10, 2016 at about 7:35 pm local time, a 2011 amateur-built ONEX, registered N1950J, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Fresno, California (Fresno Chandler Executive Apt airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot/builder's failure to properly align the Force One Main Bearing, which resulted in a blockage of the oil transfer hole and culminated with a total engine power loss. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to arrest the bank and sink rate prior to impact.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 2016 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Fresno, California · Fresno Chandler Executive Apt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ONEX, built 2011
- Registration
- N1950J · registry record · serial ONX0118
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/builder was carrying out the initial flight test after recently building the amateur experimental airplane. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane's engine experienced a total power loss and the pilot initiated a descending left turn in order to avoid an airport fence. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain, in a nose down attitude with the left wing low. An examination of the engine revealed that the Force One Main Bearing seized to the crankshaft. Further, there were multiple circular impressions on the bearing surface. Based on this evidence, it is likely that while building the experimental engine, the pilot did not properly align the Force One Main Bearing, and the oil feed hole was inadvertently used as the dowel pin hole, which resulted in a blockage of the oil transfer hole, thus preventing oil into the bearing and resulted in engine seizure and total power loss.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Owner/builder
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 484 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 30, 2015
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vw Type 1VW (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FCH Fresno CA at 7:34 pm
- Destination: FCH Fresno CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 29L, 8,008 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KFAT, 7 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.
Other NTSB records under N1950J 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 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 WPR16LA050.