Airplane Factory (PTY) LTD SLING LSA accident near Torrance, California, March 23, 2022
On March 23, 2022 at about 5:45 pm local time, a 2019 Airplane Factory (PTY) LTD SLING LSA, registered N863SL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Torrance, California (Zamperini Field Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s loss of airplane control during an aborted landing due to a wind shift, which resulted in an impact with a runway sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2022 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Torrance, California · Zamperini Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airplane Factory (PTY) LTD SLING LSA, built 2019 · all SLING LSAs on the register
- Registration
- N863SL · registry record · serial 302
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor of the airplane reported that, during an instructional flight with a student flight instructor, he purposely “flared too much and a little too high.” The intent was for the student flight instructor to correct; however, he did not intervene. The flight instructor added full power to abort the landing when the airplane encountered a shift from a headwind to a right quartering tailwind and the airplane drifted to the right. While maneuvering the airplane to stay over the runway, the left aileron struck a runway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left aileron. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,850 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,750 as pilot in command; 1,650 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 7, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 233 hours in all; 232 in this make and model; 43.6 in the last 90 days; 10.6 in the last 30 days; 136.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 25, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,872 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 17, 2022; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912IS (piston); 904 hours total
- Operator: Aviation Financial CORP
The flight
- Departed from: KTOA Torrance CA at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29L, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 10:47 am from KTOA
Weather report (METAR): KTOA 231747Z 00000KT 10SM SKC 27/07 A3014
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR22LA135.