Amateur-built BANTY accident near Camarillo, California, August 18, 2022
On August 18, 2022 at about 8:40 pm local time, a 1999 amateur-built BANTY (ultralight), registered N995GS, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Camarillo, California (Camarillo airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2022 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Camarillo, California · Camarillo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BANTY, built 1999
- Registration
- N995GS · registry record · serial 1285
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident occurred as the pilot was taking off from an ultralight runway. Portions of the takeoff and accident were captured on a security video. The airplane became airborne and, as seen in the video, it entered a climbing left turn. As the airplane ascended to about treetop level, the bank angle increased greater than 60° as the airplane turned about 90° off the runway heading. The airplane then descended out of view behind trees. The airplane came to rest inverted on top of an airport hangar and was substantially damaged. The pilot stated he had not flown the airplane for years and could not recall what happened during the flight. A witness stated that the pilot told him after the accident that he stalled the airplane and that there was nothing wrong with the airplane. Examination of the wreckage found no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The accident sequence is consistent with the pilot banking excessively after takeoff, which resulted in the airplane exceeding the critical angle of attack at a slow airspeed and stalling.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,965 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 15, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KCMA
Weather report (METAR): KCMA 182055Z 24009KT 10SM CLR 21/14 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP140 T02060139 58009
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 WPR22LA310.