# Accident 20210214003879A: Piper Aircraft Inc PA46R-350T, Tehachapi, CA, February 14, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 14, 2021, 16:27 local time
- Place: Tehachapi, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0004° N, 118.3874° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0004&lon=-118.3874&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40TS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N40TS) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA46R-350T (registry code 7104610, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa46r-350t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (registry code 41999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tio-540-ae2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER AIRCRAFT INC PA46R-350T
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TIO-540-AE2A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,820 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR21LA111](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA111) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210214003879A

## Narrative

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

ON FEBRUARY 13, 2021 AT 1555 PDT, N40TS, DEPARTED CAMARILLO, CA, (CMA), WITH THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF TEHACHAPI, CA (TSP).

PER FAA ATC, FAA FORM 8020-9, LA ARTCC, STATES AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AT 1627 PDT, 8.5 NM SSE OF TSP. THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN A FATAL INJURY, WITH THE AIRCRAFT DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND POST-CRASH FIRE.

TOXICOLOGY AND AUTOPSY PENDING.

NTSB REPORTING INDICATES THAT TSP WEATHER AT 1615 PDT, WIND AT 310 DEGREES, AT 19 KTS, GUSTING TO 26 KTS. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAD ADVISORIES CURRENT FOR TURBULENCE OVER THE REGION, AND INCLUDED G-AIRMET TANGO AND A CENTER WEATHER ADVISORY WHICH BORDERED THE AREA FOR SEVERE TURBULENCE BELOW 15,000 FT.

ACCIDENT PILOT'S LOGBOOK HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED; SUSPECTED TO HAVE BEEN ONBOARD THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT.

FAA ONSITE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE CLEAR-AIR TURBULENCE, AND DOWN-DRAFT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAIN RANGE. FLIGHTAWARE TRACK SHOWED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AIRSPEED GO FROM 180 KTS TO UNDER 50 KTS, AND A STEEP DROP IN ALTITUDE. SUSPECTED AIRCRAFT STALLED/SPINNED INTO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. ADS-B TRACKING CEASED AT 1627 PDT.

## 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 WPR21LA111](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA111), Feb 14, 2021: Piper PA46R-350T (N40TS), Tehachapi, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s encounter with mountain wave activity with severe turbulence, which resulted in a loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to obtain a preflight…

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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