ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 208522
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| Date: | Saturday 31 March 2018 |
| Time: | 14:08 |
| Type: |  Van's RV-6A |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N820TL |
| MSN: | 60312 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2003 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 646 hours |
| Engine model: | Superior O-360-B1A2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | East of Santa Paula Airport (KSZP), Santa Paula, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Rosamond, CA |
| Santa Paula, CA (KSZP) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were conducting a daytime visual flight rules cross-country personal flight and neared their intended destination airport. Witnesses observed the airplane on the left downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern with no airplanes ahead of it. As the airplane neared an area where a turn from downwind to base would normally be performed, the pilot initiated a steep left turn; it then entered a spin and descended into the ground. Shortly after impact, a postcrash fire ensued, which destroyed the airplane. An examination of the airframe, engine, and related systems revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Investigators were unable to determine how much fuel was on board the airplane at the time of the accident. Regardless of the fuel quantity, weight and balance calculations at various fuel loads placed the center of gravity within the manufacturer's limits. It is likely that, while maneuvering in the airport traffic pattern, the pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low to recover.
Although the investigation could not determine who was manipulating the controls at the time of the accident, and given the pilot rated passenger's lack of recent flight experience, it is likely that the owner of the airplane was manipulating the controls at the time of the accident and was ultimately responsible for maintaining flight control of the airplane.
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.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N820TL
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Media:
Two people were killed when their plane crashed in Santa Paula. The cause of the crash is under investigation. https://t.co/LMmVaKHJfw pic.twitter.com/IfTxwZ2L9F
— Planes Of Legend (@PlanesOfLegend) 1 avril 2018
UPDATE on Investigation of March 31 RV-6A crash in Santa Paula, CA: NTSB investigator onscene approx 5 hours today, documented/collected perishable evidence. Plane recovered, taken to secure facility in Chino, CA, for further examination. Plan to interview witnesses April 2.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) 1 avril 2018
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Mar-2018 22:01 | Geno | Added |
| 31-Mar-2018 22:09 | Geno | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 31-Mar-2018 22:24 | Geno | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 31-Mar-2018 22:40 | Geno | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Apr-2018 07:26 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Nature, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
| 01-Apr-2018 10:35 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Embed code] |
| 02-Apr-2018 10:46 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 02-Apr-2018 10:59 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 02-Apr-2018 19:36 | Mike F | Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 06-Apr-2018 14:34 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 30-Apr-2019 11:45 | Captain Adam | Updated [Narrative] |
| 15-Sep-2019 10:17 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 15-Sep-2019 12:28 | harro | Updated [Country, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Photo] |
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