Holmes RV-6A N65RV

Summary

On 29 April 2004 at about 23:30 local time, a Holmes RV-6A registered N65RV was involved in an accident near San Antonio, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 April 2004 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

San Antonio, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

John Henry Key (7TA8)

Coordinates

29.7233, -98.6947

Aircraft

Holmes RV-6A

Registration

N65RV

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boerne → San Antonio

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW04LA119

1 person had minor injuries.

The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 1,591-hour pilot reported that prior to the accident flight, he performed a preflight check verifying the fuel levels in each wing tank using a metered stick. After departure, upon reaching a cruise altitude of 2,500 feet msl, he started a turn to the north, and the engine quit. The pilot turned on the electric boost pump, noticed a suitable field for landing, and continued the turn to the field. After leveling the wings on final approach to the field, the engine "came back on" and the pilot terminated the forced landing. A few seconds later, the engine began "sputtering," forcing him to lower the nose to maintain airspeed as the airplane descended into trees. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.