- Date
- April 3, 1991, 11:24 local (19:24 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Paula, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N45EMHerbert W. Ross RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910403008239A
- Case key
- 26992
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
That the pilot inadvertently selected the wrong fuel tank and the passenger interfered with the flight controls when the seat back failed.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after liftoff on runway 22 the tandem seating airplane experienced a total loss of power followed by the airplane's nose pitching up rapidly and then stall. The airplane collided with a golf cart and burst into flames. Both occupants were killed from the resulting post impact fire. Witnesses reported that only the pilot was observed at the time the airplane pitched up. The pilot was found lying forward and the rear seat occupant was lying supine partly in the aft fuselage. Examination disclosed the rear seat passenger's seat failed in a rearward direction and that the fuel selector valve was selected to the off position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N45EM
- Reported as
- Herbert W. Ross RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 29
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-E2, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- S. K. Franks
- Registered owner
- S. K. Franks
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 1, 1990
- Airport
- SZP · Santa Paula, runway 22, 2,650 × 40 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.