Taft-Kern County Airport, Taft, CA

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Airport Area Accident History:
Accident occurred Wednesday, September 28, 2005 in Taft, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 5/29/2007
Aircraft: Cessna 150 , registration: N1238Q
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
The airplane impacted a mountainous, bowl-shaped canyon after about 35 minutes of maneuvering flight. The airplane departed for a routine pipeline patrol and radar data indicated the airplane maneuvered initially to the southwest and then to the northwest of the departure airport. The last 5 radar returns depict the airplane headed south at an altitude of 2,700 feet msl. The last radar return was recorded approximately 0.6 nautical miles northwest of the accident site. The area flown by the airplane was not usually associated with the pilot's patrol missions, and according to the operator, the accident site was not located within the patrol area. Distribution of the wreckage at the accident site indicated the airplane impacted rising terrain on a southwest heading and nosed over coming to rest inverted. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical discrepancies that would have prevented normal operation of the
airplane. The operator reported that the pilot had been conducting patrol missions for 9 years and had accumulated about 9,900 hours of flight time.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance while maneuvering. The mountainous terrain was a factor.

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Accident occurred Sunday, January 30, 2000 in TAFT, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/14/2001
Aircraft: Cessna 152 , registration: N25573
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The pilot became disoriented after encountering clouds near his destination airport and ran out of fuel while he was in the process of finding a place to land. The aircraft then nosed over after encountering soft soil during the forced landing. The pilot stated that he did not obtain a preflight weather briefing or in-flight weather advisories. The pilot said another pilot in the departure airport terminal obtained a weather briefing and told him the weather was good for now but that conditions would get worse around Los Angeles later in the day. Following departure, the flight was uneventful until he reached the high desert area north of his destination and he found that the coastal mountains between the high desert and his destination were obscured by clouds. He then decided to proceed to a VOR close to his destination in the hopes that the airport would be open. Upon reaching the VOR, the pilot could not find a clear route and elected to return to the
high desert area and land at an airport there. He stated that after dialing in the VOR radial to take him to the alternate he became confused over the "TO/FROM" indicator and ended up flying in the wrong direction. When he realized where he was, he believed he did not have enough fuel to fly back over the mountains and was looking for an airport when he ran out of fuel. Review of NWS data disclosed that AIRMET Sierra was in effect at the time of the pilot's departure. The forecast called for occasional ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibility's below 3 miles in the coastal areas. Mountain obscuration in clouds, precipitation, and fog was also predicted for the coastal mountain ranges . The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airframe or engine. The pilot obtained his private pilot certificate 10 days prior to the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The pilot's misinterpretation of his VOR navigation indicator, which subsequently led to his becoming lost and disoriented while navigating to an alternate airport and resulted in fuel exhaustion. The pilot's failure to obtain either a preflight weather briefing or in-flight weather advisories was a factor.



Taft-Kern County Airport Approach / Landing: