Amateur-built LIGHTNING N60MY accident near Torrance, California

Probable cause

The failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane while performing a slip maneuver on final approach. Contributing was the failure of the pilot to fly a stabilized approach.

NTSB analysis

Two pilots were conducting pattern work at the accident airport. Video footage as well as witness statements showed the accident airplane was on final approach to land at a low altitude and high rate of speed. The airplane yawed to the left while in a forward slip, rolled inverted, and descended rapidly in a nose-down attitude. The airplane impacted terrain in a field just short of the runway threshold.

Postaccident examination of the airplane’s wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Overall, the medical investigation for this accident identified that both the pilot and pilot-rated passenger had potentially impairing medical conditions and had used potentially impairing substances. Although an improperly performed slip maneuver could explain the sudden loss of control, and such an improper maneuver might plausibly represent diminished performance related to subtle impairment, the investigation was unable to determine whether a medical factor contributed to the accident based on the available evidence. It is likely that the pilot’s control inputs were too aggressive when the airplane was placed into the forward slip to land, which resulted in the loss of control. Additionally, the pilot failed to fly a stabilized approach by landing too fast.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR23FA047 for the full record.