- Date
- April 5, 1996, 08:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sacramento, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N94GVVan Dyke GVD1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960405006079A
- Case key
- 29412
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
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a low altitude turn after takeoff.
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
According to the pilot, at 200 feet above ground level he made an initial climbing turn and his experimental homebuilt airplane snap-rolled. He indicated that he recovered from the roll, but had insufficient remaining altitude to avoid colliding with the underlying rough terrain.
Factual narrative
On April 5, 1996, at 0800 Pacific standard time, a Van Dyke GVD1, N94GV, was substantially damaged during takeoff from the Riego Flight Strip Airport, near Sacramento, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the personal flight. The private pilot, who built the experimental airplane, was not injured.
According to the pilot, the flight was originating at the time of the accident. He reported that during an initial climbing turn, about 200 feet above ground level, his airplane snap rolled. He stated that he recovered from the roll, but had insufficient remaining altitude to prevent crashing into the underlying rough terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94GV
- Reported as
- Van Dyke GVD1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- GVD1
- Airframe hours
- 46
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gary D. Van Dyke
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 25, 1996 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- 2Q0
- Airport
- 2Q0 · Riego Flight Strip, runway 16, 2,380 × 35 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 727 total · 59 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.