Amateur-built Quickie Q2 accident near Tehachapi, California, July 20, 2003
On July 20, 2003 at about 4:54 pm local time, a amateur-built Quickie Q2, registered N218DT, was destroyed in an accident near Tehachapi, California (Mountain Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent entry into a pilot induced oscillation and failure to maintain airplane control during the takeoff initial climb. A contributing factor was the pilot's likely impairment by an over-the-counter drug substance that degraded his physical and mental performance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2003 · about 4:54 pm local time
- Place
- Tehachapi, California · Mountain Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Quickie Q2
- Registration
- N218DT · registry record · serial 2173
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane entered a pilot induced oscillation during takeoff, collided with the runway, and was destroyed by a post impact fire. The accident occurred during the pilot's maiden flight in his experimental homebuilt airplane. Witnesses saw the airplane initially climb about 25 feet above the runway. Thereafter, the airplane descended until landing hard on the runway in a nose low pitch attitude. The airplane bounced/porpoised and impacted again whereupon it nosed over, slid to a stop, and was consumed by fire. Examination of the thermally destroyed composite airplane revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure, and the reason for the pilot's failure to maintain control was not ascertained. No evidence of any preexisting physical disability was noted during the pilot's autopsy. Evidence of diphenhydramine was found in the pilot's blood and urine. This drug is an over-the-counter antihistamine preparations and typically results in drowsiness, and is associated with degradation of cognitive and motor tasks.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2003; 0 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Aero Engines (Vw) (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: L94 Tehachapi CA at 4:54 pm
- Destination: L94 Tehachapi CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27L, 5,420 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from EDW, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.