Amateur-built UNK accident near Ramona, California, August 23, 1986
On August 23, 1986 at about 3:30 pm local time, a amateur-built UNK, registered N42TJ, was destroyed in an accident near Ramona, California. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1986 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ramona, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built UNK
- Registration
- N42TJ · registry record · serial 135
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A LOCAL TEST FLIGHT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT ACFT, THE PLT WAS CIRCLING APRX 700 FT AGL WHEN THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE ACFT ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLABLE STEEP ANGLE DIVE AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. INSPECTION AS TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE PLT HAD ALTERED THE DESIGN OF THE ACFT FROM THE PUBLISHED CONSTRUCTION MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS.
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: 90 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 34 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, April 19, 1986; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 496 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 447-3558731 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L39 Ramona CA
- Destination: L-39 Romona CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.