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20070303002379A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Mallia Mallianrktii · Arvin, CA · March 3, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 3, 2007 · 09:30 local
Place
Arvin, CA
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N789JM
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX07LA099
Reported as
Mallia Mallianrktii
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
1,350 total300 in this make and model26 in the last 90 days
N789JMRegistration cancelled Nov 18, 2014 · Mallian Jasbir MALLIAN ROCKET IIS/N 001 · Built 2006Airframe modelMallian Jasbir MALLIAN ROCKET IIEngine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) This experimental "harmon rocket" crashed in a vineyard near Arvin, CA. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot suffered fatal injuries. Since there was not enough evidence to investigate any probable cause for the accident, speculation would be the case and not the facts. It is known by radar data that the accident aircraft was in front of a flight of four other aircraft. At the time of the accident, bakersfield tower showed on their radar that the accident aircraft was at an altitude of 4,900' MSL with a ground speed of 250 knots. Just a moment later, the radar showed an altitude of 2,800' MSL and disappeared from the radar. Some pilots had reported moderate turbulence was encountered over the tehachapi mountains, which are east of the accident site. According to witnesses, the aircraft impacted the ground between 60 & 90 degree angle with an increase of engine power. The speculation is the pilot was incapacitated due to hitting his head from the turbulence and losing control of the aircraft. The pilot's last medical was issued by the FAA on 07/21/2006.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THIS EXPERIMENTAL "HARMON ROCKET" CRASHED IN A VINEYARD NEAR ARVIN, CA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. SINCE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO INVESTIGATE ANY PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE ACCIDENT, SPECULATION WOULD BE THE CASE AND NOT THE FACTS. IT IS KNOWN BY RADAR DATA THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS IN FRONT OF A FLIGHT OF FOUR OTHER AIRCRAFT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, BAKERSFIELD TOWER SHOWED ON THEIR RADAR THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF 4,900' MSL WITH A GROUND SPEED OF 250 KNOTS. JUST A MOMENT LATER, THE RADAR SHOWED AN ALTITUDE OF 2,800' MSL AND DISAPPEARED FROM THE RADAR. SOME PILOTS HAD REPORTED MODERATE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED OVER THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS, WHICH ARE EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND BETWEEN 60 & 90 DEGREE ANGLE WITH AN INCREASE OF ENGINE POWER. THE SPECULATION IS THE PILOT WAS INCAPACITATED DUE TO HITTING HIS HEAD FROM THE TURBULENCE AND LOSING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT'S LAST MEDICAL WAS ISSUED BY THE FAA ON 07/21/2006.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX07LA099Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportArvin, CALoss of control during cruise for undetermined reasons.Mar 3, 2007 · Destroyed