Hastings Thomas G CIRRUS VK 30 accident near Agua Dulce, CA
On February 11, 2018, a Hastings Thomas G CIRRUS VK 30 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Agua Dulce, CA. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 11, 2018
- Place
- Agua Dulce, CA
- Aircraft
- Hastings Thomas G CIRRUS VK 30 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.463°N, 118.304°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180211X53503
Official records · WPR18FA088
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Air Traffic Control Communications: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn February 11, 2018, about 1059 Pacific standard time, an experimental, amateur-built Cirrus VK-30, N52TH, impacted terrain near Agua Dulce, California. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to the pilot who was operating it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site about the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from Henderson Executive Airport (HND), Las Vegas, Nevada, about 1000. The pilot's wife reported that she had dropped her husband and three passengers off at HND; they had planned to fly to Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California. She added that this was a trip that her husband had flown multiple times. A witness hiking in a park about 2 miles north of the accident site reported that he saw the airplane about 2,000 to 3,000 ft above the ground. He added that, as the airplane approached the mountains, it looked like the wind had "pushed the right wing up." He then heard the engine sound increase, like the pilot "throttled forward" as the airplane entered a vertical descent. According to the Las Vegas terminal radar approach control facility, about 0954, the pilot requested and was granted visual flight rules flight following services. The last communication with the accident airplane was at 1027 when the pilot was issued an updated altimeter setting, which he acknowledged. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, who was also
Probable cause
The driveshaft fracture due to overstress loading and rotational bending as a result of the under-torqued nuts on the elastomeric couplings backing off and the subsequent in-flight separation of the horizontal fairing due to contact with the separated end of the driveshaft, which led to a loss of control. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance.
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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.
