Van Grouw R / Cantrell L WHITE LIGHTNING N25WL

Summary

On 6 August 2023 at about 18:30 local time, a Van Grouw R / Cantrell L WHITE LIGHTNING registered N25WL was involved in an accident near Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 August 2023 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.5835, -105.3367

Aircraft

Van Grouw R / Cantrell L WHITE LIGHTNING

Registration

N25WL

Category

Airplane

Year built

1992

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boulder → Espanola

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA304

1 person had minor injuries.

A reported partial loss of engine power during cruise flight for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during cruise flight, the engine’s power decreased to a point where the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing at an airport that he had just overflown. However, after making the 180° turn, the airplane could not maintain airspeed or altitude, and the pilot chose to land on a dirt road. During the landing roll, the left wing separated after impacting a fence. The wreckage was subsequently disposed of by the pilot (who owned the airplane), which precluded postaccident examination of the airframe. A repair facility purchased the engine and repeated attempts to gather additional information from the facility were unsuccessful. According to the pilot, the repair facility inspected the engine and found no mechanical anomalies. Based on this information, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.