Robert C. Hanson PITTS S2E accident near Lebec, CA
On April 14, 2015, a Robert C. Hanson PITTS S2E (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lebec, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 14, 2015
- Place
- Lebec, CA
- Aircraft
- Robert C. Hanson PITTS S2E · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.877°N, 118.829°W
- NTSB ID
- 20150415X70509
Official records · WPR15FA147
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 14, 2015, about 0811 Pacific daylight time (PDT), an experimental amateur-built Robert C. Hanson Pitts S2E airplane, N75BH, collided with trees and mountainous terrain about 3 miles northeast of Lebec, California. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were reported in the area of the accident. The accident flight originated at the Meadows Field Airport (BFL), Bakersfield, California, about 0748, en route to Blythe Airport (BLH), Blythe, California. No flight plan was filed, and there is no record that a weather briefing was obtained. Family members reported that the pilot recently purchased the airplane, and it was being flown to his home in Missouri when the accident occurred. When the airplane did not arrive in Blythe, a concerned family member notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA subsequently issued an alert notice (ALNOT) at 1502 Pacific daylight time. On April 15, about 1000, the airplane's fragmented wreckage was located by a worker in a remote area of a private ranch, about 40 miles south of the Meadows Field Airport. Witness stated that on the morning of the accident the weather conditions were poor, and there were dark, low clouds in the area. One witness reported seeing an airplane similar to the accident airplane flying low over the interstate, and stated th
Probable cause
The pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient clearance from rising terrain.
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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.
