Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tehachapi, California 93561
Friday, May 22, 1987 10:58 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AN USAF T-38 AIRCRAFT AND A CESSNA 206 AIRCRAFT COLLIDED IN MID-AIR DURING VISUAL FLIGHT OPERATIONS IN A MILITARY OPERATIONS AREA. RADAR DATA REVEALED THAT THE OVERTAKING T-38 COLLIDED WITH THE CESSNA 206 FROM THE RIGHT. THE CESSNA WAS ON A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACT TERRAIN PHOTO MISSION AND HAD ALMOST COMPLETED A LEFT 360 DEGREE TURN. THE T-38 WAS TRANSITING THE MOA IN CONNECTION WITH A MILITARY MISSION. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE OPERATING UNDER VFR AND WERE NOT IN CONTACTWITH THE MOA CONTROLLERS. NEITHER PILOT WAS REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH OR MAINTAIN POSITIVE RADIO OR RADAR CONTACT WITH THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FACILITY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AREA. HOWEVER, THE AIRMAN'S INFORMATION MANUAL STATES 'PILOTS OPERATINGUNDER VFR SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHILE FLYING WITHIN A MOA... PRIOR TO ENTERING AN ACTIVE MOA, PILOTS SHOULD CONTACT THE CONTROLLING AGENCY FOR TRAFFIC ADVISORIES.' RADAR AND RADIO ASSISTANCE WAS AVAILABLE TO EITHER PILOT. THE T-38 WAS USING A TRANSPONDER WITH MODE C READOUT. THE COLLISION OCCURRED AT ABOUT 8,700 FEET MSL.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/22/1987 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1058 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | TEHACHAPI |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93561 |
| Event Date Year | 1987 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| 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 | 1050 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 145 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | WJF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2347 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 23 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| 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) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2602 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 22 1987 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1126 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 2:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2520X | USAF |
| NTSB Number | LAX87FA213A | LAX87FA213B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Armed Forces |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR | Military VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA | NORTHROP |
| Aircraft Model | P206 | T-38A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | P206 | T-38A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0020 | 62-3639 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 | 12500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | Military |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 4 1987 12:00AM | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 252 | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6380 | 9512 |
| ELT Installed | No | No |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PACIFIC AEROGRAPHICS | U.S. AIR FORCE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 425 E COLUMBINE AVE., | EDWARDS AFB |
| Aircraft Owner City | SANTA ANA | |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92707 | 93523 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | PACIFIC AEROGRAPHICS | USAF |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | No |
| Operator Street Address | 425 E. COLUMBINE AVENUE | EDWARDS AFB |
| Operator City | SANTA ANA | |
| Operator State | CA | CA |
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | 92707 | 93523 |
| Operator Code | ||
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SNA | EDW |
| Departure City | SANTA ANA | EDWARDS AFB |
| Departure State | CA | CA |
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 908 | 958 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ||
| Destination City | ||
| Destination State | ||
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM | Oct 22 2001 3:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |