Evolution Revo accident near Hawthorne, California, October 4, 2020
On October 4, 2020 at about 4:35 pm local time, a 2015 Evolution Revo, registered N449WB, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Hawthorne, California (Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne). 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 aircraft control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 2020 · about 4:35 pm local time
- Place
- Hawthorne, California · Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Evolution Revo, built 2015
- Registration
- N449WB · no longer on the register · serial 000614
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing on a personal flight in a light sport aircraft. Shortly after departing from the runway, the aircraft veered to the right and then banked to the right to clear a fence, after which the aircraft descended and struck a tree and a culvert wall. The engine was running throughout the flight. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Recorded engine data indicated that the engine was producing power at the time of the accident. Although the pilot’s experience in the light sport aircraft could not be established, a witness reported that, after a previous takeoff “a couple of years" before the accident, the pilot had incorrectly steered the aircraft toward the airport tower before recognizing the error and correcting the aircraft’s flightpath. The same witness also reported that departing aircraft typically make a left bank—rather than a right bank—after takeoff. Thus, during the accident takeoff, the pilot likely manipulated the steering controls incorrectly, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent impact with the tree and culvert.
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
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: sport pilot
- Flight time: 0 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,093 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 2020
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912iS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 4,884 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from HHR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
16 documents, released by the NTSB on January 19, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.