# Accident 19990606006419A: Amtr SEAHAWK, Yucca Valley, CA, June 6, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 6, 1999, 14:49 local time
- Place: Yucca Valley, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.1507° N, 116.4101° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1507&lon=-116.4101&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2485, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2485-2013-09-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Blanco Corell Frank SEA HAWK (registry code 9570893, https://openairdocs.org/model/blanco-corell-frank-sea-hawk) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR SEAHAWK
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 500 total, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA209) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990606006419A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

WITNESSES SAID THAT THE ACFT BANKED TO THE LEFT, SPIRALED IN, CRASHED, AND CAUGHT FIRE, THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .19) ON JUNE 6, 1999, ABOUT 1446 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT EXPERIMENTAL BLANCO SEA HAWKER, N2485, OPERATED BY THE OWNER/BUILDER/PILOT, WAS DESTROYED AFTER COLLIDING WITH TERRAIN NEAR YUCCA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.  THE PRIVATE PILOT, AND SOLE OCCUPANT, OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WAS FATALLY INJURED.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.  THE FLIGHT REPORTEDLY ORIGINATED AT HEMET, CALIFORNIA, AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME, AND WAS DESTINED FOR AN UNKNOWN DESTINATION IN UTAH.  ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT WAS NORTHBOUND WHEN IT SUDDENLY MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN FOLLOWED BY A DESCENDING SPIRAL TURN INTO THE TERRAIN.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    (.4)THE OWNER/BUILDER/PILOT OF A HOMEBUILT EXPERIMENTAL AMPHIBIAN DEPARTED FOR A PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. ABOUT 32 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES FLYING NORTH ALONG A RIDGELINE IN A DESERT AREA.  THE AIRPLANE MADE A SUDDEN TIGHT TURN TO THE LEFT AND DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND.  A POSTACCIDENT FIRE CONSUMED THE AIRFRAME AND ALL ENGINE ACCESSORIES.  ONE OF FOUR CARBON FIBER PROPELLER BLADES WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE PROPELLER HUB AND FREE OF IMPACT DAMAGE.  THE OTHER THREE BLADES WERE FIRE DAMAGED.  A DETAILED EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE.  A SHERIFF'S HELICOPTER PILOT REPORTED 'VERY TURBULENT AND VERY ROUGH' AIR ABOVE 100 FEET AGL. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 6,180 FEET MSL.                                                                (-23)LAX99LA209

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX99LA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA209), Jun 6, 1999: Blanco SEA Hawker (N2485), Yucca Valley, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: A loss of control in flight for undetermined reasons that resulted in an in flight collision with terrain. A factor was turbulent weather conditions in mountainous/hilly terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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