Interavia E-3 accident near San Pedro, California, November 25, 2006
On November 25, 2006 at about 9:18 pm local time, a Interavia E-3, registered N4426X, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Pedro, 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
Loss of control for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 2006 · about 9:18 pm local time
- Place
- San Pedro, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Interavia E-3
- Registration
- N4426X · no longer on the register · serial 02-06
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying an experimental aerobatic airplane on a local aerobatic flight. Following an aerobatic sequence, the airplane pitched down abruptly and entered a 70-degree nose down attitude until impact with the ocean. A witness flying in the area heard the pilot declare a "mayday" but the pilot did not indicate the nature of the emergency. An additional witness saw something depart the airplane when it was approximately 500 feet above the water during the descent. The pilot's restraint system was found unlatched, and the pilot was found outside of the airplane with his parachute deployed. The canopy was not recovered. The pilot had apparently initiated an emergency egress from the aircraft, suggesting that he was not incapacitated at the time of the accident. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies was discovered during a thorough examination of the recovered wreckage.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,124 hours in all; 11 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 128.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 1, 2006; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,335 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vedenyev M-14P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGB Long Beach CA at 8:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from LGB, 12 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N4426X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.