Cooper Harmon Rocket ll accident near McKittrick, CA
On March 25, 2006, a Cooper Harmon Rocket ll (airplane) was involved in an accident near McKittrick, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 25, 2006
- Place
- McKittrick, CA
- Aircraft
- Cooper Harmon Rocket ll · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.217°N, 119.983°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060403X00380
NTSB summary
On March 25, 2006, about 0715 pacific standard time, a Cooper Harmon Rocket II, amateur built experimental airplane, N96CR, was destroyed by impact with terrain and postcrash fire while performing low altitude aerobatic flight maneuvers, about 5 miles east of McKittrick, California. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal local flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane departed a private airstrip about 5 miles south of McKittrick, about 0700. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on March 27, the FAA aviation safety inspector who visited the accident site said he spoke with several people who witnessed the accident. The inspector said the witnesses reported the area is a common camping area for friends and family of the pilot, located on ranchland owned by the pilot's family. They indicated it was fairly routine for the pilot to perform aerobatic maneuvers in the area on Saturday mornings. They said that on the morning of the accident, the pilot performed several aerobatic maneuvers, and passed overhead inverted, waving at the campers. They said the pilot was exiting the area while performing aileron rolls, when the airplane pitched down and impacted the ground. The inspector said the airplane impacted the terrain in a near vertical, nose-down descent. He said a postcrash fire consumed most of the wre
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance while performing intentional low altitude aerobatic flight maneuvers. Factors associated with the accident are the low altitude aerobatic flight maneuvers.
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Browse: California
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
