Bowman TITAN TORNADO II N3156B

Summary

On 12 August 2008 at about 15:05 local time, a Bowman TITAN TORNADO II registered N3156B, operated by Gene A. Sheets, was involved in an accident near Needles, California, United States. 4 people were on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 August 2008 at 15:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Needles, California, United States

Coordinates

34.8789, -114.7519

Aircraft

Bowman TITAN TORNADO II

Registration

N3156B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Gene A. Sheets

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08LA266

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a vehicle during a low-altitude flight over a highway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported that the airplane flew about 10 feet above a truck traveling southbound on a highway. It was then observed flying straight and level at low altitude over the two-lane highway, the propeller was turning, and the airplane did not appear to be in distress. Two miles later, a witness saw the airplane make a sharp left turn eastbound to line up with the westbound lanes of a perpendicular interstate highway. Ground scars showed that during the turn the left wing of the airplane contacted the shoulder of the highway prior to the airplane colliding head-on with a westbound car in the number one lane. No evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure of the engine was found during postaccident inspection of the engine. There were numerous suitable areas for landing on and adjacent to the southbound highway prior to reaching the interstate highway. The pilot's autopsy report noted evidence of severe coronary artery disease treated with bypass surgery and stent placement. The pilot also had a history of high blood pressure and non-insulin dependent diabetes. It could not be determined whether the pilot was intending to land on the highway, or if his medical conditions played any role in the accident events. The pilot did not hold a current medical certificate.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.