Weiss Lancair accident near Santa Clarita, CA
On July 18, 2009, a Weiss Lancair (airplane) was involved in an accident near Santa Clarita, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 18, 2009
- Place
- Santa Clarita, CA
- Aircraft
- Weiss Lancair · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.401°N, 118.424°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090720X02319
Official records · WPR09LA357
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 18, 2009, about 1205 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Weiss Lancair, N244RR, collided with terrain while maneuvering near Santa Clarita, California. The pilot/owner operated the airplane as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured; the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight that departed the Whiteman Airport (WHP), Los Angeles, California, at an undetermined time. No flight plan had been filed. One witness interviewed by law enforcement was in his back yard, and heard the sound of a low flying airplane. He thought that it might be a friend flying over, so he looked up and observed the airplane when it was just about over his property. He stated that he clearly heard the sound of an engine throttle reduction as the airplane went into a steep, almost vertical, climb. Near the top of the climb, he thought that it sounded like the engine power was reduced to idle. He thought that the airplane stalled during the vertical maneuver, and was falling backward. It appeared to him as if smoke was coming from the outward edge of the wingtips, as if the pilot were performing some type of aerobatics. He estimated that the airplane tumbled two or three times before it ended up in a downward spiral. It made two rotations in the spiral at a 45-degree angle until it impacted a roadway. He could clearly see the rudder and ailerons moving until the impact, and felt that the pilot was manipulating them in an a
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and control while maneuvering.
More accidents in CA
- Douglas MD-83, Feb 1, 2000
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32, Aug 31, 1986
- British Aerospace BAE-146-200, Dec 8, 1987
- Beech C-99, Aug 24, 1984
- Sikorsky S-61N, Aug 6, 2008
Browse: California
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
