North Wing Uum Inc SPORT X2 912 N492XB accident near Chelan, Washington

Probable cause

The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the aircraft while demonstrating a spiral dive, which resulted in a loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the instructor's decision to demonstrate a spiral dive maneuver at an altitude that was too low for recovery.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor and the student pilot were conducting a local flight in the weight-shift-control aircraft. An onboard camera captured the accident flight and showed that, at the time of the accident, the instructor was demonstrating a spiral dive maneuver. The video showed that the maneuver was initiated at an altitude that appears to be below 1,000 ft AGL which is a minimum required recovery altitude. During the maneuver, the aircraft's bank angle continued to increase until the aircraft entered a nearly-vertical descent and impacted terrain. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR17FA139 for the full record.