N177N TL Ultralight Sro STINGSPORT Crash-2 Fatal.

[Doug Robertson]

The 2007 N177N STINGSPORT Light Sport Aircraft crashed on 5 July 2012 about 1330 in an orchard near East Telegraph (Highway 126) and Santa Paula Canyon Roads about 3 miles east of Piru, California. The two occupants were declared dead at the scene. Two young girls witnessed the crash and one reported that "it looked like it wanted to loop or something". They heard a "loud crack" as the aircraft crashed nearby, missing their house.

The Ballistic Recovery Systems aircraft parachute in this aircraft was not deployed.

I have fourteen photos of N177N on this site, all taken at SZP including one showing the aircraft's BRS warning, which was heeded by rescuers until someone could arrive to deactivate the device.

The N117N crash site is near SZP's aerobatic waiver site east of the field. Most cross-state or -country flights to SZP arrive from the east and the aerobatic site has been criticized for its placement by some long-time SZP pilots. Pattern entry to land on Rwy 22 requires an overflight of the town of Santa Paula at 1,500 ft to enter the normal left-hand pattern. It is unknown whether SZP was the aircraft's destination.

The standard production Cirrus Design aircraft-the SR20 and SR22 series have the BRS aircraft parachute system installed as original equipment, calling it the CAPS standard feature. A number of Cirrus aircraft have crashed also without the BRS parachute being deployed, as it must be consciously activated in flight. It is not automatically deployed. The BRS aircraft parachute can be retrofitted or installed during aircraft manufacture. Some Cessnas and others can have the BRS safety feature at extra cost as BRS gains more FAA approvals.

This is the second fatal aircraft crash in Ventura County this year. On 18 May 2012 N321AX, a Hawker HUNTER aggressor aircraft operated by ATAC, a Navy contractor crashed on approach to NTD with one fatality, also reported in this Forum. N321AX photos are also on this site.

[Doug Robertson]

Further information on the crash of N177N:

A longtime pilot and flight instructor, age 59 was killed in the accident. He had been in the US Navy as a jet pilot. Coincidentally, he was involved in an aircraft crash on 25 September, 1997 of a Ryan Navion flying with a student pilot. That plane lost power shortly after takeoff and the NTSB said the 1997 crash was most likely caused by improper use of the fuel tank selector. The auxiliary tank had been selected and caused the engine to lose power, according to the NTSB findings. He suffered third degree burns and other injuries in the 1997 crash.

The owner of N177N that crashed, age 89 and World War II veteran also was killed in the accident. He too, was a flight instructor. Undetermined was who was piloting the dual-control side by side seating two place StingSport LSA aircraft. N117N had departed Whiteman Airport WHP and both men were friends and tenants there.

[Doug Robertson]

Further information on the crash of N177N:

The preliminary NTSB report was released Friday 27 July, 2012. It describes that witnesses driving on Highway 126 about 200 yards south of the crash site near Piru saw a small plane in a nose-low spin as it disappeared below treetops.

N177N had taken off from Whiteman Airport WHP in Pacoima about 1300 on 5 July, 2012 and crashed about 30 minutes later. Witnesses said the plane was descending in a nose low attitude while spinning in a counter-clockwise direction. Both occupants suffered fatal injuries.