Ragle RV6A N820TL

Summary

On 31 March 2018 at about 21:08 local time, a Ragle RV6A registered N820TL was involved in an accident near Santa Paula, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 March 2018 at 21:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Paula, California, United States

Nearest airport

Santa Paula (SZP)

Coordinates

34.3453, -119.0475

Aircraft

Ragle RV6A

Registration

N820TL

Category

Airplane

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rosamond → Santa Paula

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR18FA116

2 people died.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.