Amateur-built KR-2 accident near Watsonville, California, November 7, 1995
On November 7, 1995 at about 10:54 pm local time, a amateur-built KR-2, registered N57CC, was destroyed in an accident near Watsonville, California (Watsonville Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
partial loss of engine power for an undetermined reason, and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering for an emergency landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 1995 · about 10:54 pm local time
- Place
- Watsonville, California · Watsonville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KR-2
- Registration
- N57CC · registry record · serial 1711
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Several witnesses observed the homebuilt airplane during takeoff on its maiden flight. One witness reported that after the airplane climbed about 150 feet, he noticed the engine was making a popping sound, and the airplane was trailing smoke. Reportedly, the airplane leveled off, and the pilot initiated a 30-degree right turn toward the airport. Subsequently, the airplane appeared to stall. It descended in a 30 to 40 degree angle, impacted the ground, slid into an unoccupied barn, and burned. During an engine test run on the previous day, the pilot-builder was advised that his engine appeared to be overheating.
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: 150 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Revmaster 2100-D TURBO (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: WVI at 10:53 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,501 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from MRY, 21 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.