Airplane Factory (PTY) LTD The SLING accident near Daggett, California, April 30, 2014
On April 30, 2014 at about 6:55 am local time, a 2011 Airplane Factory (PTY) LTD The SLING, registered N511NG, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Daggett, California (Barstow-Daggett airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots’ failure to maintain clearance from terrain while operating in dark night, visual meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilots’ failure to enable the aural terrain warning system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2014 · about 6:55 am local time
- Place
- Daggett, California · Barstow-Daggett · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airplane Factory (PTY) LTD The SLING, built 2011 · all SLINGs on the register
- Registration
- N511NG · no longer on the register · serial 017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The sport pilot and flight instructor were approaching the destination airport at the conclusion of a night cross-country flight in the light sport airplane. The sport pilot stated that, about 10 miles southwest of the airport, they could clearly see the airport lights and began a visual descent from 5,500 ft mean sea level. During the descent, the airplane collided with terrain about 5 miles from the airport and came to a stop. The sport pilot egressed and called for emergency services. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Visual meteorological conditions were present in the area with visibility of 10 miles. Astronomical information showed that moonset had occurred about 3.5 hours before the accident. The accident occurred in a very sparsely populated area of high desert, with no ground lighting. The terrain and dark night conditions would have prevented both pilots from maintaining a visual reference to the terrain. Examination of the airplane's Electronic Flight Information System (EFIS) revealed that the aural terrain warning function was not enabled, though the system still depicted a moving map display with terrain information. If the aural terrain warning function had been enabled, the pilots would have been alerted, and action could have been taken in sufficient time to maintain terrain clearance.
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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Navigation system › Ground proximity system › Not used/operated
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: sport pilot; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,073 hours in all; 448 in this make and model; 24 in the last 30 days; 2,016 as pilot in command; 1,573 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 73 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 31 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 6, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,202 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2014; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 1,232 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTOA Torrance CA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: KDAG Daggett CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from KDAG, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR14LA177.