Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Truckee, California 95734
Tuesady, June 28, 1988 18:10 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO BUZZ FRIENDS OF THE PILOT WHO WERE WINDSURFING ON SAILBOARDS. THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN MANEUVERING ERRATICALLY AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE OVER THE BOCA RESERVOIR. WITNESSES SAID THE AIRPLANE DID SEVERAL STEEP TURNS AND APPEARED TO STALL. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN IN A NOSE LOW, LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE. WITNESSES INDICATED THE WINDS WERE GUSTING TO 30 MPH AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. TOX TESTS REVEALED 110-124 NG/ML MARIJUANA METABOLITES IN THE URINE OF THE PILOT. TOX TESTING OF BLOOD WAS NEGATIVE FOR MARIJUANA METABOLITES. THE AIRPLANE WAS CERTIFIED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL CATEGORY. ACROBATICS/ABRUPT MANEUVERS WERE PROHIBITED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/28/1988
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1810
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City TRUCKEE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95734
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1745 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 195
Weather Observation Facility ID TRK
Elevation of weather observation facility 5900
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 5
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 20000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 280
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 20
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 7600
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1225
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 28 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1900
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37318
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:50AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8534A
NTSB Number LAX88DXQ02
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BARON
Aircraft Model MINICOUPE
Aircraft Series Identifier MINICOUPE
Aircraft Serial Number HB1
Certified Max Gross Weight 800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 17 1983 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 200
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HALL, LAWRENCE D.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 1975
Aircraft Owner City TRUCKEE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95734
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name THYS, EDWARD B.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1303 LANNY LANE
Operator City SQUAW VALLEY
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 95730
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code TRK
Departure City TRUCKEE
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1800
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --