Amateur-built RV7A accident near Ramona, California, November 10, 2018
On November 10, 2018 at about 3:52 pm local time, a 2018 amateur-built RV7A, registered N5433T, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Ramona, California (Ramona airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2018 · about 3:52 pm local time
- Place
- Ramona, California · Ramona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV7A, built 2018
- Registration
- N5433T · no longer on the register · serial 70675
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During takeoff on the first flight since the airplane was built, the engine began to lose power. The passenger conducted a series of troubleshooting steps while the pilot flew the airplane. Unable to restore engine power, the pilot landed in a rock-covered field. The airplane came to rest upright; a postimpact fire ensued and consumed most of the airplane. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was equipped with an electric constant speed propeller, which was controlled by an electric propeller controller. Due to the postimpact fire damage sustained to the airplane, functional testing of the propeller control unit could not be performed. Due to the lack of available information, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,040 hours in all; 721 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,971 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 5, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 3, 2018; 0 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru H6 (piston); 9 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNM Ramona CA at 3:52 pm
- Destination: RNM Ramona CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KRNM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 16, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Passenger | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Examination Information | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.