Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Tehachapi Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tehachapi, California 93561
Friday, January 16, 2004 14:15 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A Cessna 180K and a Beech 95-B55 collided head-on during cruise flight over a valley, between 1,500 and 2,000 feet above ground level. The Cessna's right wing separated, and the airplane descended to ground impact. The Beech, which had been in a cruise climb, experienced a punctured windscreen and fuselage. The pilot made a precautionary landing without further mishap. The collision occurred on a clear day about 6 miles west of the Tehachapi Airport, from where the Beech pilot had departed. Neither pilot was receiving services from the Federal Aviation Administration. Radar track data indicated that the Cessna had flown in a southeasterly direction after departing the Bakersfield area. Minutes prior to the collision, the pilot changed to a northerly course. Seconds prior to the collision the pilot initiated a northeasterly turn. The Beech pilot had just configured his airplane for a cruise climb, and was flying in a westerly direction toward Bakersfield. The Cessna was flying about 135 knots, and the Beech was flying about 140 knots. The closing speed was about 275 knots, or just over 4 miles per minute. The Cessna was equipped with a Mode S transponder, and its signal was detected by Traffic Collision Alerting Device (TCAD) installed in the Beech. Seconds prior to the collision, the Beech pilot heard the audible "traffic" alert warning in his headset, and he observed an illuminated target in close proximity on the annunicator. The target was within 200 feet of his airplane's altitude, and in his 1 to 2 o'clock position. The Beech pilot reported that although he looked for the target, none was seen. The collision angle between the airplanes was documented. The impact was ascertained by fitting the Cessna's right main landing gear wheel in the punctured right side front windscreen of the Beech. As the Cessna's landing gear passed through the upper portion of the Beech's fuselage, the right wing's lift strut was lacerated upon impacting the leading edge of the Beech's vertical stabilizer. Thereafter, the Cessna's right wing separated. An evaluation of the pilots' visual angles revealed the airplanes were within each pilot's field of vision.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout during cruise, and the pilot of the other airplane's inadequate visual lookout during climb.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/16/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1415 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Tehachapi |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93561 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 350742N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1183340W |
| Event Location Airport | Tehachapi |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TSP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 6 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4001 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1356 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | WJF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2348 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 28 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.9 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19662 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 16 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1451 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2006 1:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FSDO Van Nuys, CA |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N61691 | N555RD |
| NTSB Number | LAX04FA095A | LAX04FA095B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No | No |
| Damage | Destroyed | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | 180K | 95-B55 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18052790 | TC-2025 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3190 | 5100 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2003 12:00AM | Feb 1 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 104 | 98 |
| Airframe Hours | 3555 | 4570 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ABA Communications, LLC | Robert H. Gates |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 42370 61st Street, W. | On File |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lancaster | Tehachapi |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93536 | 93561 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | David A. Lazerson | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- | -- |
| Operator City | Tehachapi | -- |
| Operator State | CA | -- |
| Operator Country | USA | -- |
| Operator Zip code | 93561 | -- |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- | -- |
| 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 | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | WJF | TSP |
| Departure City | Lancaster | Tehachapi |
| Departure State | CA | CA |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | -- | 1412 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | WJF | BFL |
| Destination City | Lancaster | Bakersfield |
| Destination State | CA | CA |
| Destination Country | USA | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise | Climb - to cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 14 2006 6:19PM | Feb 14 2006 6:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA | -- |
| Runway Length | -- | 4031 |
| Runway Width | -- | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |