# NTSB WPR22LA135: Airplane Factory Sling LSA, N863SL, Torrance, CA, March 23, 2022

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: March 23, 2022, 10:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place: Torrance, CA · On Airport
- Coordinates: 33.803383, -118.3396
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8034&lon=-118.3396&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 104847
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR22LA135
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104847/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104847
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA135

## Probable cause

The flight instructor’s loss of airplane control during an aborted landing due to a wind shift, which resulted in an impact with a runway sign.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Airplane Factory SLING LSA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=06001AV), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Airplane Factory SLING LSA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=06001AV), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Object/animal/substance: sign/marker](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022015): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on equipment; cases with it: [Airplane Factory SLING LSA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022015/cases.md?model=06001AV), [All aircraft, 214 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022015/cases.md)
- [Wind: sudden wind shift](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034010): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation; cases with it: [Airplane Factory SLING LSA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034010/cases.md?model=06001AV), [All aircraft, 114 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034010/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Airplane Factory SLING LSA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=06001AV), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The flight instructor of the airplane reported that, during an instructional flight with a student flight instructor, he purposely “flared too much and a little too high.” The intent was for the student flight instructor to correct; however, he did not intervene. The flight instructor added full power to abort the landing when the airplane encountered a shift from a headwind to a right quartering tailwind and the airplane drifted to the right. While maneuvering the airplane to stay over the runway, the left aileron struck a runway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left aileron. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N863SL](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N863SL), registered now, S/N 302, built 2019 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRPLANE FACTORY (PTY) LTD SLING LSA
- Registry model: [Airplane Factory SLING LSA](https://openairdocs.org/model/airplane-factory-sling-lsa) (registry code 069002H) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 912 IS series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912-is-series) (registry code 55593, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 302
- Year built: 2019
- Airframe hours: 2872
- Engines: Rotax 912IS 100 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Aviation Financial Corp
- Registered owner: Aviation Financial Corp
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection: 100 hour, March 17, 2022, 31 hours before
- Departed: KTOA, Torrance, CA
- Airport: TOA, Zamperini Field Airport, runway 29L, 3,000 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Flight instructor; age 26; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review December 7, 2021; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,850 total, 350 in this make and model, 1,750 as pilot in command, 120 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours
- Student pilot; age 36; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 25, 2022; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 233 total, 232 in this make and model, 136.8 as pilot in command, 43.6 in the last 90 days, 10.6 in the last 30 days, 1.5 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observed at: KTOA
- METAR: KTOA 231747Z 00000KT 10SM SKC 27/07 A3014

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20220323004099A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220323004099A), Mar 23, 2022: Airplane Factory (Pty) Ltd SLING LSA, Torrance, CA, Substantial damage. Investigation: I was notified by the long beach flight standards district office that on March 23, 2022 at 1045 local time at the Torrance airport (ktoa)…

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 30, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104847. 932 KB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 578 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13694612&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%206120%20Pilot_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Damage photo (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 353 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13606115&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Damage%20Photo-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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