Amateur-built TAILWIND W-8 accident near Watsonville, California, August 7, 1988
On August 7, 1988 at about 8:45 pm local time, a amateur-built TAILWIND W-8, registered N333HL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watsonville, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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 7, 1988 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Watsonville, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built TAILWIND W-8 TAILWIND W
- Registration
- N333HL · registry record · serial 286
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,380 hours in all; 380 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 555 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 5, 1988; 104 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 307 Hollister CA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: HAF Half Moon Bay CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from OAK
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.
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.