Greg Hobbs LIGHTNING N60MY

Summary

On 30 November 2022 at about 19:00 local time, a Greg Hobbs LIGHTNING registered N60MY was involved in an accident near Torrance, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 November 2022 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Torrance, California, United States

Nearest airport

Zamperini Fld (TOA)

Coordinates

33.8075, -118.3472

Aircraft

Greg Hobbs LIGHTNING

Registration

N60MY

Category

Airplane

Year built

2011

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23FA047

2 people died.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.