Cathaway RV-6A N102RC
7 November 2003 · Saticoy, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 7 November 2003 at about 23:15 local time, a Cathaway RV-6A registered N102RC was involved in an accident near Saticoy, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Saticoy, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.2667, -119.1506
- Aircraft
- Cathaway RV-6A
- Registration
- N102RC
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Santa Paula → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX04LA038
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of a loose B-nut fitting for the carburetor fuel inlet line, which allowed fuel to leak out.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane traversed through a small stream, collided with a berm, and nosed over during a forced landing in a dry riverbed following a loss of engine power. Witnesses heard the airplane flying overhead before the crash and reported that the engine was sputtering. No fuel was found in the airplane's fuel tanks during recovery of the airplane from the accident site. During the engine examination, a B-nut for the carburetor fuel inlet line was discovered loose at its attach point. Fuel staining was evident on the fuel line fitting, the fuel line itself, and the airbox situated directly below the fuel line. An internal examination of the engine was conducted, with no obvious mechanical anomalies found. The B-nut was indexed so that it's position could be re established, then it was tightened to facilitate an engine ground run. The engine started and ran normally, both with and without the electric fuel pump, during the ground run. The B-nut was loosened to its original position. The electric boost pump was activated, with copious amount of fuel leaking out of the loose fuel line fitting.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2003 | Cessna 414 | Palm Springs, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 2003 | Omf OMF-100-160 | Van Nuys, California, United States | Alliance International | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Jan 2003 | Cessna 152 | Salinas, California, United States | Squadron 2 | No injuries | - |
| 17 Nov 2003 | Beechcraft A36TC | Visalia, California, United States | John Rodgers | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2003 | Cessna 150F | Reedley, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 2003 | McClanahan STITS PLAYMATE SA-11 | Fontana, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |