History of Flight
On August 24, 2013, at about 1215 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built TBird II aircraft, registration N31683, sustained substantial damage when it impacted power lines and a corn field near a private airstrip in Bakersfield, California. The student pilot and private pilot on board received minor injuries. The personal flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan.
According to both individuals, a potential buyer contacted the seller to arrange a site visit. The buyer, a private pilot, flew with two friends to a nearby airport, where the seller picked them up. A dirt strip adjacent to the seller's property, oriented north-south, was available for takeoffs and landings.
The seller reported that he asked the buyer if he wanted to fly, making clear that he was not a licensed pilot. The buyer's friend, a flight instructor, informed the buyer that he would have to be pilot-in-command since the seller held only a student pilot certificate. The seller stated he pointed out hazards, mainly the surrounding power lines.
Before the accident flight, the seller conducted a solo takeoff and landing to the north from the left seat. After landing, the seller remained in the left seat, and the buyer took the right seat. The aircraft had an onboard intercom.
The seller performed the takeoff and initial climb to about 1,000 feet, then flew about 1 mile west, where the buyer took control and executed maneuvers including shallow and steep turns, slow flight, and stalls. The buyer then flew back and expressed a desire to fly over his friends on the ground. The aircraft flew south down the centerline of the strip, about 10 to 20 feet above the parallel power lines, and passed over the friends. Shortly after, the aircraft struck power lines perpendicular to the strip at its south end and impacted in an adjacent cornfield. A fire erupted, and the buyer helped extricate the seller.
Discrepancies emerged between the buyer's and seller's accounts. The buyer reported that the seller claimed several hundred hours in ultralight or light sport aircraft and 50 hours toward a private pilot certificate, while the seller did not provide previous flight experience. The buyer said the seller flew solo before the buyer boarded, which the seller did not mention. The buyer reported no preflight discussion about power lines, whereas the seller said he warned about all power lines. The buyer stated that near the end of the low pass, he advanced the throttle but the engine did not respond; unfamiliar with the throttle direction, he relinquished control. The buyer did not know if the seller tried to increase power and recalled the seller pushing the nose down to go under the second set of lines. The seller reported a loss of engine power and did not mention being given control. The seller stated that after the accident, the buyer admitted pulling the power due to confusion. The buyer said he was unaware of the south-end power lines until impact.
Personnel Information
The seller did not list pilot certificates or flight time in his written report, designating the buyer as 'Pilot A' and himself as 'passenger.' FAA records showed he held a student pilot certificate issued June 17, 2013, along with a third-class medical. According to the buyer, the seller claimed to have sold six or seven similar aircraft and represented himself as the owner.
The buyer held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land rating, reporting 423 total flight hours. His most recent flight review was completed in June 2012, and medical certificate in February 2013. In his report, he designated the seller as 'Pilot A' and himself as 'Pilot B,' noting that communication and coordination aspects might have helped prevent the accident.
Aircraft Information
FAA records indicated the aircraft was manufactured by Robert Golding in 2001, equipped with a Rotax 912UL series engine. At the time of the accident, it was registered to 'Business & Pleasure Air Charter LLC,' with Paul Sturgeon listed as manager. The aircraft was first registered to that company in 2010. After the accident, the registered owner told the FAA inspector that he had sold the aircraft to the seller under a verbal agreement; the seller was an employee in a non-aviation business. The aircraft was not insured.
Meteorological Information
The 1154 automated weather observation at Meadows Field Airport (BFL), about 14 miles north, reported wind from 290 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 32°C, dew point 8°C, and altimeter 29.82 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The aircraft came to rest inverted in a cornfield about 75 feet south of the struck power lines. A wood power pole was fractured near its base and toppled, downing attached wires, some of which remained entangled in the wreckage. Since the aircraft was not insured, acquaintances of the seller transported it back to the seller's property for safekeeping.
An FAA inspector examined the aircraft after recovery. Fire consumed many non-metallic components in the cockpit and central area, damaging much of the aircraft and engine. The outboard portions of propeller blades were fractured, consistent with engine rotation at impact. However, fire, impact, and recovery damage prevented any relevant determination of the pre-accident condition and operability of the aircraft.