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July 18, 2009, Santa Clarita, Calif., Lancair Experimental

The airplane impacted terrain at about 1210 Pacific time while maneuvering and was destroyed. The pilot and one passenger were killed. Visual conditions prevailed. According to a witness, he saw the accident airplane at about 2000 feet, and reported hearing "throttle adjustments," the sound of an "engine surging." The airplane performed an "aerobatic maneuver," which he described as a "flip," followed by a loop, and then the airplane stalled.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • An airplane crashed around 12:10 PM Pacific time under visual conditions, resulting in the deaths of the pilot and one passenger and the destruction of the aircraft.
  • A witness reported hearing "engine surging" before observing the airplane perform an aerobatic maneuver (a flip followed by a loop), stall, and then impact the ground within approximately 15 seconds.
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The airplane impacted terrain at about 1210 Pacific time while maneuvering and was destroyed. The pilot and one passenger were killed. Visual conditions prevailed.

According to a witness, he saw the accident airplane at about 2000 feet, and reported hearing “throttle adjustments,” the sound of an “engine surging.” The airplane performed an “aerobatic maneuver,” which he described as a “flip,” followed by a loop, and then the airplane stalled. The witness reported that the airplane was losing altitude, and descended behind the treeline; he then heard the airplane impact the ground. He stated that the whole event lasted about 15 seconds.

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