Amateur-built WE-1 accident near El Mirage, California, September 30, 1990
On September 30, 1990 at about 1:00 am local time, a amateur-built WE-1, registered N91RR, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Mirage, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1990 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- El Mirage, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built WE-1
- Registration
- N91RR · no longer on the register · serial 8792252
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT TOOKOFF FROM A DRY LAKE BED INTO A LEFT QUARTERING CROSSWIND. VIDEO TAPE AND GROUND WITNESSES DESCRIBED A NSOE HIGH ATTITUDE AFTER LIFTOFF PRIOR TO THE PILOT INITIATING A TURN TO THE RIGHT. DURING THE TURN THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND FELL RIGHT WING DOWN AND NOSE LOW TO GROUND.
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
- Flight time: 100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 1796 CC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N91RR 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.