Trusty THORP T-18 accident near Tehachapi, CA
On June 20, 2011, a Trusty THORP T-18 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Tehachapi, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 20, 2011
- Place
- Tehachapi, CA
- Aircraft
- Trusty THORP T-18 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 35.080°N, 118.654°W
- NTSB ID
- 20110620X22349
Official records · WPR11FA268
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- FAA Audio Replay: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 19, 2011, about 1720 Pacific daylight time (PDT), an experimental amateur built Trusty Thorp T-18 airplane, N851LT, impacted a mountain near Tehachapi, California. The pilot/owner operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed Santa Ynez Airport (IZA), Santa Ynez, California, about 1630. The flight was destined for Tehachapi Airport (TSP), Tehachapi, and no flight plan had been filed. When the pilot had not checked in with family members upon his expected arrival time at Tehachapi, they called the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and an ALNOT (alert notification) was issued at 1900. Family members reported that the pilot had been at his second home, and that the day of the accident he was flying back to Tehachapi. The pilot was dropped off at Santa Ynez airport about 1620; the flight normally takes about 35 to 40 minutes. According to his family, his normal procedure was to check in before he departed and upon his arrival at his destination airport. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 64, held a private pilot certificate with rating for airplane single-engine land, and a third-class medical issued on February 22, 2010. It held the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. The pilot reported on his most recent application for a medical certificate, that he had a total time of 1,600 hours with 40 hours accrued in the
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain during cruise flight, which resulted from his impairment or incapacitation due to multiple medical conditions and sedating medication.
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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.
