Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 N8700
29 November 2009 · Torrance, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 29 November 2009 at about 21:45 local time, a Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 registered N8700, operated by Smith Richard Charles, was involved in an accident near Torrance, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Torrance, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Zamperini Field Airport (TOA)
- Coordinates
- 33.8033, -118.3394
- Aircraft
- Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000
- Registration
- N8700
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Smith Richard Charles
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Torrance → Torrance
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR10CA079
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The Travel Air pilot's failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout during taxi.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The Travel Air pilot was taxiing down the 58-foot-wide asphalt lane that stretched between rows of hangar buildings toward a taxiway. Prior to beginning the taxi the pilot had visually checked the lane and had not observed any other aircraft in the lane between his position and the taxiway. The Travel Air is a tailwheel-type configuration, and the pilot was making continuous S-turns to look for obstructions ahead of his position. As he reached the end of the buildings, his propeller collided with the empennage of a stationary Lancair that had been pulled out of the end hangar. The pilot of the Lancair had started his engine and was contacting the Air Traffic Control Tower for a clearance onto the taxiway when the collision occurred. The point of the collision is in a non-movement ramp area not subject to air traffic control separation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | N8700 | Smith Richard Charles | - |
| Sutherland Ron LANCAIR 235 | N880RS | - | Substantial |
Other Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Aug 2009 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR | San Diego, California, United States | Daniels Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 14 Nov 2009 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR | Fort Myers, Florida, United States | Lucky Lindy's Flying Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Apr 2008 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Carlsbad, California, United States | Barnstormng Adventures | No injuries | - |
| 26 Aug 2007 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Blaine, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2006 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Jackson, Mississippi, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2006 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR C-4000 | Elmira, Oregon, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2009 | Cessna 172P | Livermore, California, United States | Wollard Aviation Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Dec 2009 | Piper PA-38-112 | Ojai, California, United States | Aviation Pacific Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Fallbrook, California, United States | M.Y. Air Corp | No injuries | - |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Mooney M20E | Rio Linda, California, United States | David Michaud | Fatal | 2 |
| 23 Aug 2009 | Piper PA-24-260 | Santa Barbara, California, United States | Kris S Michel | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 2009 | Antares Us MA-34R | San Jose, California, United States | Peter C Marsh | Serious injuries | - |