Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Private Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bakersfield, California 93311
Saturday, August 24, 2013 12:15 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On August 24, 2013, about 1215 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built TBird II aircraft, N31683, was substantially damaged when it impacted powerlines and a cornfield following a low pass over a private airstrip in Bakersfield, California. The two persons on board received minor injuries. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no FAA flight plan was filed for the flight.
According to the person on whose property the airstrip was located, and the aircraft was based, the second person was interested in purchasing the aircraft. The two seated themselves in the aircraft, and the property owner conducted the takeoff and initial portion of the flight, which were uneventful. He then turned control over to the potential purchaser, who was an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licensed pilot. After some airwork to get the feel of the aircraft, the potential purchaser flew a low pass along the airstrip, with no intent to land on that pass. As he approached the end, he commanded more power by advancing the throttle, but the engine did not seem to respond. He relinquished control to the property owner, who also tried to command more engine power, to no avail. The airplane struck powerlines and impacted in a cornfield shortly thereafter. The two extracted themselves from the wreckage, and a post-impact fire ensued. The wreckage was recovered and preserved for subsequent examination by the FAA and/or NTSB.
FAA information indicated that the potential purchaser of the aircraft held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. FAA information indicated that the aircraft was manufactured in 2001, and was equipped with a Rotax 912UL series engine.
The 1154 automated weather observation at Meadows Field Airport (BFL), Bakersfield, located about 14 miles north of the accident site, included winds from 290 degrees at 8 knots; visibility 10 miles; clear skies; temperature 32 degrees C; dew point 8 degrees C; and an altimeter setting of 29.82 inches of mercury.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/24/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1215 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Bakersfield |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93311 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 351242N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1190627W |
| Event Location Airport | Private airstrip |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1154 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BFL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.82 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Western Pacific ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 3 2013 5:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N31683 |
| NTSB Number | WPR13LA385 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robert Golding |
| Aircraft Model | TBirdII |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TBII2001 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Business & Pleasure Air Charter LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bakersfield |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93308 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Business & Pleasure Air Charter LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Bakersfield |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 93308 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Bakersfield |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Bakersfield |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 3 2013 5:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |