Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Tehachapi Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tehachapi, California 93561
Tuesady, August 14, 2012 16:05 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that he had recently completed extensive work on the engine, and the purpose of the flight was to build time. After departure, he maneuvered in the area of the airport for about 50 minutes and then began a descent to the airport; he later reported that this was his last memory of the flight, and he is unable to recall detailed events surrounding the timeframe of the accident.
A witness reported that he observed the airplane in a descending left turn near the airport and that the engine appeared to be sputtering. The airplane continued the descent until it impacted terrain.
Before the flight, the pilot affixed a video camera to the leading edge of the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer. The camera was recovered from the wreckage and the captured video showed, in part, the airplane in a descent toward the airport. As the airplane approached the runway, it entered a left banked turn. The banked turn and descent increased and the airplane subsequently impacted terrain in a left-wing-down, nose-low attitude. The video further showed that the airplane’s engine appeared to be operational during the entire flight with no anomalies noted.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the approach to the airport.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/14/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1605 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Tehachapi |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93561 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 350806N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1182621W |
| Event Location Airport | Tehachapi Municipal Airport |
| 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 | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4001 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1455 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 290 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TSP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4001 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 34 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KTSP 142255Z AUTO 33010G19KT 290V350 10SM BKN120 3 |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31350 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 17 2013 3:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N37686 |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA359 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | FECHTNER |
| Aircraft Model | KR-2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | J/E-727779 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 12 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 388 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROBINS DAVID M |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MOJAVE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93501-1114 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | ROBINS DAVID M |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | MOJAVE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 93501-1114 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TSP |
| Departure City | TEHACHAPI |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1535 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | TSP |
| Destination City | TEHACHAPI |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 17 2013 3:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |