Amateur-built VAN/RV8A N456DG accident near Sebring, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing approach.

NTSB analysis

The accident airplane was part of a flight of six aircraft that were flying to a nearby airport together. Radar data indicated the airplane flew a relatively straight flight path from the departure airport and then initiated a descent when it was about 5 miles from the destination airport. The airplane leveled off momentarily at an altitude of 1,000 feet and then performed a 200-foot climb over the next 24 seconds, followed by a rapid descent until it impacted the ground. The airplane impacted the ground in a right wing-low, near vertical attitude. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicology testing noted the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary active substance in marijuana, in the tissues of the pilot. No blood was available for testing, which made it not possible to accurately estimate the time of most recent use of the drug or whether the pilot may have been impaired by that use.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10LA280 for the full record.