Amateur-built FLYBABY 1A accident near Castiac, California, March 29, 1996
On March 29, 1996, a amateur-built FLYBABY 1A, registered N71658, was destroyed in an accident near Castiac, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision. The terrain condition and low ceiling were related factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 1996
- Place
- Castiac, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built FLYBABY 1A
- Registration
- N71658 · no longer on the register · serial 222
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident site was in a pass at the southern end of a mountain valley. A major interstate highway traversed the mountains through this valley. The pass at the southern end of the valley was characterized by rapidly rising and narrowing terrain. U.S. Forest Service workers near the site reported that the pass and the surrounding terrain was obscured by clouds which went to the ground. The aircraft collided with the side of a mountain about 300 feet above the elevation of the highway. An FAA inspector went to the accident site, interviewed witnesses, and examined the aircraft. He reported that the aircraft was traveling southbound over the highway as it approached the pass. The aircraft collided with the terrain as the pilot attempted to turn around in the narrow pass. Control system continuity could not be established throughout the aircraft due to extensive airframe crush deformation. Fuel was present in the tank and no discrepancies were found in the engine.
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: 300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C75 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFL Bakersfield CA
- Destination: CNO Chino CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.