Airborne Windsports Pty Ltd EDGE XT-912-L N188M accident near Santa Barbara, California

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering in the traffic pattern.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the weight-shift control aircraft uneventfully departed runway 15 and made a right turn to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern. He then requested and was cleared for the downwind leg for the intersecting runway. While making the turn to the downwind leg, the aircraft entered a rapid descent and impacted the ground near an apartment complex. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The crankshaft exhibited torsional twisting, consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact.

The pilot purchased the aircraft new and took delivery 4 days before the accident. Review of his logbook revealed 65 total hours of flight experience, with 12 hours in the accident aircraft make and model; however, his flight experience in the accident aircraft could not be determined.

Toxicology testing on the pilot was positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the primary psychoactive component of marijuana) and tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (THC-COOH, an inactive metabolite); however, there is no established direct relationship between blood levels and impairment. Therefore, it could not be determined whether psychoactive effects from the pilot's use of marijuana contributed to the accident.

Although the circumstances of the accident are consistent with a loss of control in the airport traffic pattern, the investigation was unable to determine the reason for the loss of control.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR17FA033 for the full record.