# Accident 20080812844659A: Amtr TORNADOII, Needles, CA, August 12, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 12, 2008, 08:05 local time
- Place: Needles, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.8789° N, 114.7519° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8789&lon=-114.7519&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3156B, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3156B-2009-01-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bowman Charles TITAN TORNADO II (registry code 05607CB, https://openairdocs.org/model/bowman-charles-titan-tornado-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Subaru ALL MDLS A/B (registry code 59050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/subaru-all-mdls-a-b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR TORNADOII
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX08LA266](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08LA266) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080812844659A

## Narrative

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

(-23) N3156B WAS FLYING SOUTH BOUND OVER US 95 JUST NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40 AT LOW ALTITUDE WHEN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF US 95 AND INTERSTATE 40 THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO MAKE A STEEP LEFT TURN TOWARD THE EAST.  SHORTLY AFTER EXECUTING THE STEEP LEFT TURN THE AIRCRAFT LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE NORTH SHOULDER OF INTERSTATE 40 WEST BOUND WHILE TRYING TO RETURN TO A LEVEL ATTITUDE AND COLLIDED WITH THE RIGHT/FRONT SIDE OF A VEHICLE TRAVELING WEST BOUND ON INTERSTATE 40.  THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT CAUSED THE PILOT TO BE EJECTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND SUBSEQUENTLY SUSTAIN FATAL INJURIES.  THE OCCUPANTS OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.  THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE SAID THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED SUDDENLY IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, LEFT WING LOW AND APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET AGL.  THE DRIVER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO AVOID IMPACT.  NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS WERE MADE TO THE PILOTS SON TO TRY AND RETRIEVE COPIES OF PILOT AND AIRCRAFT LOG BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.  RECEIVED FINAL COLLISION NARRATIVE FROM THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL ON 9/10/2008 THAT INCLUDES SEVERAL WITNESS STATEMENTS OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT FLYING LOW OVER THE GROUND IN A CONTROLLED MANNER.  ANY SUBSEQUENT INFORMATION RECEIVED WILL BE ADDED TO THIS REPORT AT THAT TIME.

## 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 LAX08LA266](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08LA266), Aug 12, 2008: Bowman Titan Tornado II (N3156B), Needles, CA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a vehicle during a low-altitude flight over a highway.

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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