Ayers LESS DRAG SPECIAL accident near Oxnard, CA
On June 29, 2013, an Ayers LESS DRAG SPECIAL (airplane) was involved in an accident near Oxnard, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 29, 2013
- Place
- Oxnard, CA
- Aircraft
- Ayers LESS DRAG SPECIAL · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.188°N, 119.227°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130629X15042
Official records · WPR13FA298
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 29, 2013, about 1210 Pacific daylight time, N130LD, an Ayers Less Drag Special experimental, amateur-built airplane, was substantially damaged following an uncontrolled descent and impact with terrain about 1 nautical mile southwest of the Oxnard Airport (OXR), Oxnard, California. The certified private pilot/owner, who occupied the front pilot seat, and the certified private pilot passenger who occupied the rear seat, both sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal light, which was being operated in accordance with 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and a flight plan was not filed. The accident occurred shortly after the airplane departed OXR. Local law enforcement personnel provided the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) with numerous witness statements from individuals who either observed or heard the accident occur. One witness observed the airplane take off, and described the engine as "sounding odd," appeared to not be running smoothly, then powered up before he heard it backfire and sputter. The witness stated that he then saw the airplane bank left, as if it were attempting to return to the airport, then the nose pitched up and completely stalled before falling from the sky; he lost sight of it after it went behind a stand of trees. Three witnesses reported seeing the airplane taxi out for takeoff and depart. One stated how impressed she was with how well the engine sounded, and the remaining two said they had no concerns or issues with how the
Probable cause
A loss of engine power after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
