John Lauer Harmon Rocket II accident near Bakersfield, CA
On December 9, 2006, a John Lauer Harmon Rocket II (airplane) was involved in an accident near Bakersfield, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 9, 2006
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Aircraft
- John Lauer Harmon Rocket II · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.239°N, 119.137°W
- NTSB ID
- 20061220X01816
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 9, 2006, about 1040 Pacific standard time, an experimental amateur built Lauer Harmon Rocket II, serial number 129, N604JL, collided with terrain while maneuvering near Bakersfield, California. The owner/pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The airline transport pilot and a passenger were killed, and the airplane was destroyed. The local area personal flight departed Bakersfield Municipal Airport (L45) about 1020. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane performing aerobatic maneuvers just prior to the accident. As the airplane was completing a loop, it impacted into a fallow agricultural field in a wings level, nose high attitude. The accident site was approximately 10 miles southwest of L45. PERSONNEL INFORMATION A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records revealed that the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land and commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land. He held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine and multi-engine, and instrument airplane. He held a ground instructor certificate with ratings for advanced and instrument. He held a repairman experimental aircraft builder certificate with the limitation for the airplane make John E. Lauer, model Harmon Rocket II, serial number 129, certification date October 20, 2004. The pilot held a second-class medical certificate issued in Ju
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance during an aerobatic maneuver.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
