At 0948:48, a homebuilt Questair Venture called the Van Nuys airport control tower for landing 'north of San Fernando Reservoir with Romeo.' San Fernando Reservoir is an official reporting point. North of the reservoir is considered Newhall Pass. According to radar data, the approach groundspeed was averaging 217 knots/250 mph. The pilot was cleared for a straight in approach to runway 16R and squawk 0237. The tower's D-Brite radar received one Mode C hit on the assigned code. The Questair collided with a pipeline patrol Citabria, which was maneuvering over a crude oil underground pipeline with surface construction in progress. The Citabria was being provided VFR flight advisory services and had previously been assigned a discreet code and given other traffic. The collision occurred about 6.3 miles from the approach end of runway 16R on the extended runway/localizer centerline. The Questair was on frequency about 22 seconds from initial call to collision. Both aircraft were operating in class 'E' airspace.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

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