Ragle RV6A accident near Santa Paula, CA
On March 31, 2018, a Ragle RV6A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Santa Paula, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 31, 2018
- Place
- Santa Paula, CA
- Aircraft
- Ragle RV6A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.345°N, 119.047°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180331X84022
Official records · WPR18FA116
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 31, 2018, about 1408 Pacific daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Ragle RV6A, N820TL, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Santa Paula Airport (SZP), Santa Paula, California. The private pilot and the pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. 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 prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from Rosamond, California, at an undetermined time with a reported destination of SZP. Witnesses located near the accident site and at SZP reported multiple airplanes in the airport traffic pattern, with the accident airplane number one for the approach to the runway. The witnesses observed the accident airplane on downwind for runway 22 and, as the airplane neared an area about where the turn to the base leg would be performed, it entered a steep left turn, followed by a spin and descent into the ground. Shortly after impact, a postcrash fire ensued. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONPilot The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class airman medical certificate was issued to the pilot on May 18, 2016, with a limitation of "must wear corrective lenses." At the time of his most recent medical application, the pilot reported that he had accumulated 362.9 hours of flight experience, of which 35.6 hours were in the previous 6 months. The most recent entry in the pilot's logbook was
Probable cause
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering in the airport traffic pattern, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent spin.
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.
