Cessna 180K accident near Tehachapi, CA
On January 16, 2004, a Cessna 180K (airplane) was involved in an accident near Tehachapi, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 16, 2004
- Place
- Tehachapi, CA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.128°N, 118.561°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040124X00105
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 16, 2004, about 1415 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 180K, N61691, and a Beech 95-B55, N555RD, collided about 6 nautical miles west-southwest of Tehachapi, California. The Cessna was destroyed, and its pilot was fatally injured. The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate, and he was a partial owner of the airplane, which was operated under the name of ABA Communications, LLC. The Beech was substantially damaged, and its owner-pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the personal flights. At the time of the head-on midair collision, neither airplane was on a flight plan. Both flights were performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The Cessna's flight originated at an undetermined time from Lancaster, California. The Beech's flight originated from Tehachapi, the pilot's home base airport, approximately 1412. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was not providing any services to the pilots at the time of the accident. The Cessna airplane's co-owner reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that the accident pilot had initiated his flight from the General Wm. J. Fox Airfield (WJF). The pilot intended to fly the airplane for a few hours. The pilot's route of flight from WJF to Bakersfield, California, was not determined. The FAA reported that at 1316, the Cessna pilot contacted the Bakersfield Terminal Radar Approach Control facility (TRACON) and requested practice instrument approaches to the Bakersfield Meadows Airport. The pilot received the requested clearance,
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout during cruise, and the pilot of the other airplane's inadequate visual lookout during climb.
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Browse: California · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
