Amateur-built Vans RV8 N901X accident near Truckee, California

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a steep turn to final approach, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

Several ground and airborne witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering to land on runway 28. One ground witness stated that the airplane continued on the base leg for that runway beyond the point where a turn to final approach would normally begin and then made a steep left turn in an apparent turn back to the final approach. Another witness (a pilot who was taxiing after landing on runway 28) referred to this turn as a “knife edge” turn and stated that the airplane’s turn continued to steepen as the airplane dove toward the ground. An examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot was attempting to compensate for overshooting the final approach and increased the bank angle to bring the airplane back to the final approach for the runway. The airplane subsequently stalled and collided with terrain.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR10LA297 for the full record.