Czech Sport Aircraft SportCruiser accident near Van Nuys, CA

On August 2, 2023, a Czech Sport Aircraft SportCruiser (airplane) was involved in an accident near Van Nuys, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

August 2, 2023

Place

Van Nuys, CA

Aircraft

Czech Sport Aircraft SportCruiser · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

34.216°N, 118.488°W

NTSB ID

20230802192777

Official records · WPR23FA299

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Audio Of Air Traffic Control And Pilots: Audio recording (MP3), on ntsb.gov
• ATC Package Excerpts: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 2, 2023, about 1036 Pacific daylight time, a Czech Sport Aircraft SportCruiser, N384SC, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Van Nuys, California. The flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. ADS-B flight track data revealed that the airplane initially departed runway 16L at the Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California, about 1021:33. The airplane then entered the left traffic pattern and performed a touch-and-go landing at 1027:39. The airplane entered the left traffic pattern again, following a similar flight path as before (see figure 1). The airplane touched down about 1033:57 and then became airborne about 1,700 ft down the runway, in nearly the same place as the previous takeoff. After a 14-second gap in the data, the flight path continued above taxiway K, and the ground speed decreased from 60 to 50 kts. The flight path continued at that speed and the altitude increased. Figure 1. Accident flight path (magenta) and previous circuits in the traffic pattern (purple, green). At 1035:09, the airplane made a left turn onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern while climbing to an altitude of about 315 ft agl. The airplane then turned to the downwind leg; these turns were conducted closer to the runway and at a lower altitude than in the first two takeoffs. After a 15-second data gap, the airplane’s track continued at 1035:42, with a ground speed of 71 knots and an altitude of 430 ft agl; this marked the highe

Probable cause

The misalignment of the carburetor piston slides, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power, and the flight instructor’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during an emergency landing, leading to an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.

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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.