Amateur-built 540 accident near San Juan Capist, California, October 11, 2001
On October 11, 2001 at about 1:00 am local time, a amateur-built 540, registered N541TW, was destroyed in an accident near San Juan Capist, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate terrain/object altitude clearance while intentionally performing low level aerobatics, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2001 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- San Juan Capist, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 540
- Registration
- N541TW · no longer on the register · serial 17
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Part of the left aileron separated after the aerobatic airplane collided with trees, and then the airplane impacted terrain in a near vertical descent. The pilot was going to perform at an airshow the following day. He was going to practice his aerobatic routine on this flight. The outboard half of the left aileron was on top of a hill about 3,000 feet east of the main wreckage, near broken branches at the base of a tree. Located near the outboard aileron were the transponder antenna, the left side windows, and the left aileron spade arm. The transponder antenna had been installed on the bottom of the airplane and forward of the aileron. The canopy was about 800 feet east of the main wreckage. Half of the canopy frame was in a tree; the other half was on the ground below. Shards of Plexiglas remained in the frame pieces. The main wreckage was on top of another hill in open grassy terrain. The main wreckage was within about a 50-foot circle. The pilot was outside of the cockpit, and away from the main wreckage. He was wearing a parachute. It was still folded in the pack; however, some shroud lines had snagged on the engine. The pilot also wore a helmet.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 567 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 11, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.