The recent crash of a homebuilt aircraft in Fullerton, California, has prompted a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which sheds light on potential causes that led to this tragic incident. The Van’s RV-10 plane, a popular kit-built aircraft, faced a devastating fate shortly after taking off from Fullerton Municipal Airport on January 2. The crash resulted in the loss of the pilot, Pascal Reid, and his 16-year-old daughter, Kelly, while injuring 19 others within a furniture warehouse located under its flight path.
According to the NTSB findings, a significant factor contributing to the crash was a door that appeared to be ajar during the flight. This particular door had undergone a modification that impacted the functionality of an alert system designed to warn pilots of such issues. Investigators also utilized a car's dashcam footage and witness testimonies to reconstruct the moments preceding the crash.
Witnesses at the airport described seeing the aircraft at an unusually low altitude, with one noting that the left door was open. Although a hand was seen attempting to close it, the airplane continued to struggle. From another perspective, witnesses observed the aircraft flying lower than usual and aggressively banking to the left, causing concern of a stall. The plane then nosedived into the warehouse below, igniting a fiery impact.
The critical moments following takeoff were alarmingly brief. The pilot had alerted air traffic control of an