N995GS

On August 18, 2022, at 1340 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Banty airplane, N995GS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Camarillo, California. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

Airport security video captured the airplane as it departed to the west from the ultralight runway at Camarillo Airport. The airplane became airborne and began an immediate climbing left turn. The airplane climbed to about treetop level, with an increase in bank angle to greater than 60° as the airplane completed about 90° of turn (see figure). The airplane then descended from view behind trees. The wreckage came to rest inverted on top of an airport hangar.

Figure. Picture of Takeoff (Security Video Capture)

The pilot, who held the repairman certificate for N995GS and was the only person authorized to sign off maintenance, told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that he was asked to fly the airplane and troubleshoot repair work to the flaps. However, he could not produce a record showing what work had been done or by whom. When asked specifically if he was performing a test flight on the airplane, he said he could not recall why he was there and he did not know what happened during the flight. The pilot also stated he had not flown this model airplane “for many years.”

A witness to the accident, who was familiar with the airplane, said he spoke to the pilot following the accident and the pilot told him he “perceived the runway was too small,” and turned to the left after takeoff and stalled the airplane. The pilot also told him that there was nothing wrong with the airplane. The witness also assisted in the relocation of the wreckage and stated he did not [observe anything unusual or abnormal] with the airplane.

A FAA inspector who responded to the accident found no airworthiness issues.

A review of the pilot’s most recent logbook did not reveal any entries for flights in the accident airplane make and model between the first logbook entry in April 2020 and the date of the accident. No airplane maintenance logbooks were recovered during the investigation.