Bellanca 14-13-3 accident near Caliente, California, May 20, 2005
On May 20, 2005 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Bellanca 14-13-3, registered N6511N, was destroyed in an accident near Caliente, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance, which resulted in controlled flight into the terrain. Contributing factors were the pilots' delayed decision to reverse course, the low clouds which obscured the rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 2005 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Caliente, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 14-13-3 · all 14-13-3s on the register
- Registration
- N6511N · registry record · serial 1630
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain while cruising in controlled flight (CFIT) after the pilot(s) reversed course upon encountering instrument meteorological conditions. Both of the pilots held commercial pilot certificates, but neither were instrument-rated. The flight was performed to relocate the airplane to the pilot-owner's home base airport. No witnesses to the accident were identified. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the departure airport beneath an overcast sky condition. Based on an evaluation of the weather conditions, the projected route between the departure and destination, and the impact heading of the airplane, and as the terrain elevation increased, the pilots most likely encountered less maneuvering room between the terrain and the overlying clouds, and they would have inadvertently entered instrument meteorological conditions. The pilots reversed course to a westerly direction and commenced flying back toward their departure airport. The underlying terrain was also obscured by clouds, and the airplane's clearance from the terrain was inadequate, resulting in a collision with mountainous terrain. A motorist, who held a private pilot certificate and was driving in a westerly direction near the accident site, reported that the roadway "was foggy" and his visibility was at most 1 mile. The motorist stated his elevation was about 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl). An examination of the accident site, elevation 2,380 feet msl, revealed the airplane impacted upsloping terrain while in a right bank, and with a near level pitch attitude. Thereafter, the airplane cart wheeled. The distance between the initial point of impact and the farthest component of wreckage was nearly 800 feet. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction was found.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 780 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 1, 1990
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-150-B3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O63 Exeter CA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: TSP Tehachapi CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from BFL, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.