Cooke KR-2 N57CC

Summary

On 7 November 1995 at about 22:54 local time, a Cooke KR-2 registered N57CC was involved in an accident near Watsonville, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 November 1995 at 22:54

Classification

Accident

Location

Watsonville, California, United States

Nearest airport

Watsonville Municipal (WVI)

Coordinates

36.9499, -121.7198

Aircraft

Cooke KR-2

Registration

N57CC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX96LA041

1 person died.

partial loss of engine power for an undetermined reason, and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering for an emergency landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with the terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Several witnesses observed the homebuilt airplane during takeoff on its maiden flight. One witness reported that after the airplane climbed about 150 feet, he noticed the engine was making a popping sound, and the airplane was trailing smoke. Reportedly, the airplane leveled off, and the pilot initiated a 30-degree right turn toward the airport. Subsequently, the airplane appeared to stall. It descended in a 30 to 40 degree angle, impacted the ground, slid into an unoccupied barn, and burned. During an engine test run on the previous day, the pilot-builder was advised that his engine appeared to be overheating.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.