Accident Overview
On February 2, 2008, at approximately 1000 Pacific standard time, an experimental Kidd Harmon Rocket, registration N96KR, impacted hilly terrain about 10 miles south of Maricopa, California. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was killed, and the airplane was destroyed. The pilot owned and operated the aircraft.
Flight Details
The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal pleasure flight. The aircraft departed a private airstrip near Taft, California, around 0930. According to a family member, the pilot was en route to the area around New Cuyama, California. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activation.
Weather Conditions
At the time of departure, visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed, with 10 miles visibility reported at both Taft and New Cuyama. However, witnesses living in the area reported low ceilings of variable heights and winds gusting to about 10 miles per hour in the hills between the two locations. The ceiling was touching the top of the hills in many places throughout the area, though visibility below the clouds was good.
Accident Sequence
It is believed that the pilot attempted to follow State Highway 33 through a narrow valley running northeast to southwest through the hills. While maneuvering in that area, the airplane impacted the terrain while traveling in a northwesterly direction. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the scene, the airplane hit "very hard" in a nose-down attitude and traveled about 150 feet before coming to rest. The impact created a three-foot-deep crater and tore the engine from the airframe.
Search and Recovery
When the pilot did not arrive at his destination on the day of departure, his family reported him missing, and a search was initiated. The wreckage was spotted from the air four days after the accident. The aircraft was relocated to the facilities of Aircraft Recovery Services, where an FAA-directed teardown inspection was performed.
Inspection and Toxicology
The teardown inspection revealed no evidence of a pre-impact anomaly or malfunction of the airframe, flight controls, or engine components. The FAA's Forensic Toxicology Research Team performed a toxicological examination on specimens from the pilot, which was negative for screened drugs and consumed ethanol. Due to the elapsed time between the accident and the discovery of the wreckage, standard tests for carbon monoxide and cyanide were not performed.
Autopsy
The Kern County Coroner performed an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force injuries, with the manner of death listed as accidental.