NTSB Identification: WPR12LA359
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, August 14, 2012 in Tehachapi, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/04/2013
Aircraft: FECHTNER KR-2, registration: N37686
Injuries: 1 Serious.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
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.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the approach to the airport.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On August 14, 2012, about 1605 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Fechtner KR-2 airplane, N37686 collided with terrain near Tehachapi Municipal Airport (KTSP), Tehachapi, California. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward portion of the fuselage and wings. The airplane was registered to the pilot and operated as a personal flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that departed from KTSP approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident. No flight plan was filed for the flight.
The pilot reported that he had recently completed extensive work to the engine, and the purpose of the flight was to build time. The day prior to the flight, he had completed a 40-minute engine ground run. On the day of the accident, the preflight, engine run-up, takeoff, and climb were normal. He climbed the airplane to 12,500 feet and maneuvered in the area surrounding the airport for about 50-minutes. The engine ran well and all associated instrumentation readings were normal. The pilot then began a descent to the airport; he later reported that this was his last memory of the flight, and 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.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
At 1555, the recorded weather observation at Tehachapi was, in part, winds from 330 degrees at 10 gusting to 19 knots; temperature 34 degrees Celsius; altimeter setting 29.97 inches Hg.
The airport is located in open mountainous terrain at an elevation of 4,001 feet. The pilot reported that the calculated density altitude at the airport during the timeframe of the accident was approximately 6,880 feet.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The wreckage was located in an open field about 1/2-mile from the approach end of runway 29. The surrounding terrain was relatively flat with areas of grass and scrub brush. All major airframe, engine and system components were located in the immediate area of the main wreckage. Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector from the Van Nuys Flight Standards District Office revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Prior to the flight the pilot affixed a GoPro camera to the leading edge of the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer. The camera was recovered from the wreckage and forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for data recovery.
The recovered SD memory card contained still pictures and movie files. The video of the accident sequence showed, in part, the airplane in a descent towards 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. Neither the pilot nor the cockpit instrumentation was visible from the camera.
The video further showed that the airplane’s engine appeared to be operational during the entire flight with no anomalies noted.
NTSB Identification: WPR12LA359
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, August 14, 2012 in Tehachapi, CA
Aircraft: FECHTNER KR-2, registration: N37686
Injuries: 1 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On August 14, 2012, about 1605 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Fechtner KR-2 airplane, N37686 collided with terrain near Tehachapi Municipal Airport (KTSP), Tehachapi, California. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward portion of the fuselage and wings. The airplane was registered to the pilot and operated as a personal flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that departed from Tehachapi approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident.
A witness reported that he observed the airplane in a descending left turn near the airport. The witness reported that the engine was sputtering and the airplane continued the descent until impacting terrain.
The Tehachapi pilot whose experimental plane crashed into a field Tuesday afternoon completed a cross-country trip in the same airplane in June.
An article in the Bangor Daily Mail in Bangor, Maine, published in June tells the story of David Robins' flight.
According to the article, Robins made the flight from Mojave to Old Town, Maine, in his 700-pound, 14-foot-long KR-2 experimental plane — the smallest plane to ever land on the airstrip there.
He told a reporter in Maine that he bought the KR-2 in 2009 from someone who built the kit aircraft in a garage in 1981 and hadn't flown it since 1991.
The plane is two years older than Robins and it has spent about 300 hours, or roughly 39,000 miles, in the air at the time he landed in Maine.
According to the article, Robins has maintained and repaired unmanned aerial vehicles in Afghanistan as a contractor for the military. While on a break from that job he planned to fly across the country, hitting "all four corners of the U.S."
The KR-2 runs on a Volkswagen engine and can travel about 800 miles on one tank of fuel. The wings can be pulled off the plane, allowing it to fit in a garage.
Robins has friends and former colleagues who work for Carter Aero Works, an aircraft maintenance and flight instruction company based at DeWitt Field, so the trip to Maine allowed him to visit them as well as one of the nation’s four corners.
The complete story about his flight can be found online HERE.
The Tehachapi News has been unnable to reach Robins, but according to reports he survived the crash with broken bones and some internal injuries.
http://www.tehachapinews.com
David Robins of Tehachapi survived the crash of his experimental plane on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 14.
The plane went down in a field near the intersection of Dennison Road and Tehachapi Boulevard just before 4 p.m. Witnesses reported Robins appeared to be headed toward the Tehachapi Airport.
"They found the pilot was conscious and talking, which is pretty unbelievable given the wreckage to the plane," said Tehachapi Police Chief Jeff Kermode. The pilot was transported to Kern Medical Center by helicopter following the crash and it has been reported that he has broken bones and possible internal injuries.
In an interview with KGET Channel 17, Susan Robins said her son David, who is 29 years old, has had his pilot's license for more than ten years.
"He has never had so much as a traffic accident, much less an aviation accident like this," she said on camera. "We have spoken often about the possibility, since you have the two dimensions in a car, but in a plane you add the third dimension. I think he started out flying when he was 14 and soloed at 16. He has just been very active in flying ever since."
Robins and his small experimental KR-2 aircraft recently returned from a cross-country flight that stopped in many cities, including stops on the east coast.
The aircraft ended up on the ground in a field at the southeast corner of Tehachapi Boulevard and Dennison Road. It is not known what caused the plane to crash. The National Transportaton Safety Board will investigate.
TEHACHAPI, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) - A pilot was injured Tuesday when what was described as a two-seat experimental airplane crashed in Tehachapi.
The plane reportedly took a nosedive while going in for the landing at Tehachapi Municipal Airport.
The plane crashed in the area of East Tehachapi Boulevard and Dennison Road.
The pilot, identified as David Robins, was reportedly incoherent when medical help arrived.
Authorities on scene said Robins might have suffered broken bones and internal injuries. He was flown to Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield for treatment.
TEHACHAPI, Calif. -- A plane has crashed just short of the runway at the Tehachapi Airport.
The crash happened around 4 p.m. Tuesday. Early reports indicate that the single-engine plane went down in the area of Dennison Road and East Tehachapi Boulevard.
That's the intersection just to the southeast of the runway at the airport.
Tehachapi Police Chief Jeff Kermode said the pilot of the aircraft, David Robins, 29, was attempting to land his plane and crashed.
Officials said that Robins was breathing and awake.
TEHACHAPI, California - A local man is very fortunate after surviving the crash of his experimental plane in Tehachapi on Tuesday. Susan Robins tells us her son, 29-year-old David Robins, has had his pilot license.
According to witnesses, David Robins was headed back toward Tehachapi Airport when his plane went down in a field at the intersection of Dennison Road and Tehachapi Boulevard. After the crash, Robins was alert and talking with rescuers before he was taken to the hospital with possible broken bones. Looking at the wreckage, it's hard to believe anyone survived the crash.
The crash happened just before 4 p.m. Tuesday while Robins was attempting to land at Tehachapi Airport.
"They found the pilot was conscious and talking, which is pretty unbelievable given the wreckage to the plane. The pilot was taken by helicopter to Kern Medical Center," said Tehachapi Police Chief Jeff Kermode.
Robins and his small experimental KR-2 aircraft just returned from a cross-country flight that stopped in many cities, including stops on the east coast.
Flying runs in the family as his father used to fly, so the dangers of flying are nothing new to the family.
"He has never had so much as a traffic accident, much less an aviation accident like this. We have spoken often about the possibility, since you have the two dimensions in a car, but in a plane you add the third dimension." said Susan Robins.
According to his parents, David Robins has many years of flying experience.
"I think he started out flying when he was 14 and soloed at 16. And, he has just been very active in flying ever since." his mother continued. It is not known what caused the plane to crash. The NTSB will investigate.
