Airborne Windsports EDGE XT-912-L N188M

Summary

On 6 December 2016 at about 18:18 local time, a Airborne Windsports EDGE XT-912-L registered N188M was involved in an accident near Santa Barbara, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 December 2016 at 18:18

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Barbara, California, United States

Nearest airport

Santa Barbara Municipal Airpor (SBA)

Coordinates

34.4333, -119.8506

Aircraft

Airborne Windsports EDGE XT-912-L

Registration

N188M

Year built

2016

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Barbara → Santa Barbara

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR17FA033

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering in the traffic pattern.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the weight-shift control aircraft uneventfully departed runway 15 and made a right turn to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern. He then requested and was cleared for the downwind leg for the intersecting runway. While making the turn to the downwind leg, the aircraft entered a rapid descent and impacted the ground near an apartment complex. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The crankshaft exhibited torsional twisting, consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact. The pilot purchased the aircraft new and took delivery 4 days before the accident. Review of his logbook revealed 65 total hours of flight experience, with 12 hours in the accident aircraft make and model; however, his flight experience in the accident aircraft could not be determined. Toxicology testing on the pilot was positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the primary psychoactive component of marijuana) and tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (THC-COOH, an inactive metabolite); however, there is no established direct relationship between blood levels and impairment. Therefore, it could not be determined whether psychoactive effects from the pilot's use of marijuana contributed to the accident. Although the circumstances of the accident are consistent with a loss of control in the airport traffic pattern, the investigation was unable to determine the reason for the loss of control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.