Fechtner KR-2 N37686

Summary

On 14 August 2012 at about 23:05 local time, a Fechtner KR-2 registered N37686, operated by Robins David M, was involved in an accident near Tehachapi, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 August 2012 at 23:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Tehachapi, California, United States

Nearest airport

Tehachapi Municipal Airport (TSP)

Coordinates

35.1350, -118.4392

Aircraft

Fechtner KR-2

Registration

N37686

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Robins David M

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tehachapi → Tehachapi

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA359

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the approach to the airport.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he had recently completed extensive work on the engine, and the purpose of the flight was to build time. After departure, he maneuvered in the area of the airport for about 50 minutes and then began a descent to the airport; he later reported that this was his last memory of the flight, and he is unable to recall detailed events surrounding the timeframe of the accident. A witness reported that he observed the airplane in a descending left turn near the airport and that the engine appeared to be sputtering. The airplane continued the descent until it impacted terrain. Before the flight, the pilot affixed a video camera to the leading edge of the airplane's horizontal stabilizer. The camera was recovered from the wreckage and the captured video showed, in part, the airplane in a descent toward the airport. As the airplane approached the runway, it entered a left banked turn. The banked turn and descent increased and the airplane subsequently impacted terrain in a left-wing-down, nose-low attitude. The video further showed that the airplane's engine appeared to be operational during the entire flight with no anomalies noted. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.