Amateur-built T18C accident near Needles, California, November 11, 2003
On November 11, 2003 at about 7:05 pm local time, a amateur-built T18C, registered N647C, was destroyed in an accident near Needles, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's continuation of a visual flight rules (VFR) flight into an area of adverse weather, which resulted in an encounter with moderate to severe turbulence and in-flight breakup of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2003 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Needles, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built T18C
- Registration
- N647C · no longer on the register · serial 36
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane broke up in flight and impacted terrain. A search and rescue (SAR) crew located the airplane after the issuance of a family concerned alert notification (ALNOT). A review of the radar data showed a target consistent with the accident airplane at a mode C reported altitude of 12,300 feet mean sea level (msl) at 1103:45. The target continued in a westerly direction, and at 1104:56, the mode C altitude was 5,000 feet, which equates to a calculated 9,400 feet per minute (fpm) rate of descent. The last target was 12 seconds later at 1105:08, at a mode C altitude of 3,300 feet. The primary wreckage consisted of the fuselage, right wing, landing gear, and engine. The left wing was 1 mile west of the main wreckage on the eastern slope of a mountain peak. The left main wing spar separated from the inboard stub section, with compression wrinkles noted in the webbing of the outboard left main wing spar. The lower spar cap had a smooth fracture surface and the upper spar cap had an angular fracture surface, features consistent with the wing failing in negative aerodynamic loading. The right wing main spar remained attached to the stub carry through spar and the webbing was also wrinkled. Analysis of the meteorological conditions disclosed that a strong west-southwesterly jet stream was advecting mid- and high-level moisture from off Baja, California, into the southwestern United States. Light rain and rain showers were occurring over southern California and were associated with this moisture advection. The closest weather reporting facility was somewhat downstream of the accident location with respect to cloud movement. Observations made from the facility during the hour before the accident indicated that the cloud ceiling lowered during that period to around 11,000 feet. One Pilot Report (PIREPs) near Blythe, California, confirmed the presence of towering cumulus (TCU) in the area. Radar and satellite data indicated that convective clouds were in the accident area and rapidly increasing in altitude with very strong vertical motion around the accident time. In addition, deviations in the accident airplane's mode C altitude data just before the accident indicates that strong up- and downdrafts were present in the area. Strong jet stream winds near 100 knots were present in the area about the height of the convective clouds. Therefore, isolated strong convective downdrafts were possible in the area of the breakup. While proceeding westbound, the airplane was probably in the vicinity of the northern edge of a rapidly developing convective buildup. The pilot probably encountered moderate to severe turbulence due to strong updrafts and downdrafts just before the accident.
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: 1,175 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Mattituck TMXO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GEU Glendale AZ at 5:15 pm
- Destination: SMX Santa Maria CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from EED, 37 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N647C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.