Amateur-built RV6A N820TL accident near Santa Paula, California

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.

NTSB analysis

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.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR18FA116 for the full record.