Amateur-built LANCAIR SUPER ES accident near Mount Hamilton, California, September 12, 2025
On September 12, 2025 at about 9:21 pm local time, a 2006 amateur-built LANCAIR SUPER ES, registered N905ET, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (descent) near Mount Hamilton, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2025 · about 9:21 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Hamilton, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LANCAIR SUPER ES, built 2006
- Registration
- N905ET · registry record · serial 148
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 12, 2025, about 1421 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Lancair Super ES, N905ET, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Mount Hamilton, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot’s sister reported that the pilot was due to depart from Ryan Field Airport (RYN), Tucson, Arizona, with the intended destination of the Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), San Jose, California. Hunters near the accident site reported observing the airplane circling their location at high speed about 1,000 ft above them. During a subsequent circling pattern, the airplane had descended to about 300 ft above ground level, then made a sharp right turn overflying their location. The airplane continued to bank to the right and “went straight down into the hillside at what sounded like full engine power.” The recorded ADS-B flight track showed that at 1300:12, the airplane was on a northeast heading at an altitude of about 8,900 ft mean sea level (msl). ADS-B contact was lost about 242 miles southwest of the accident site. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted mountainous terrain along the western edge of a valley about 5 miles northeast of Mount Hamilton. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a 12 ft tall tree that had damaged limbs near the top of the tree. The debris path was oriented on a heading of about 250° magnetic and was about 90 ft in length from the FIPC. Various portions of airplanes flight control surfaces, and propeller fragments were observed throughout the debris path. The fuselage came to rest inverted on a heading of about 250° magnetic at an elevation of 2,148 ft msl.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute (descent)
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (descent) defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 566 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: RYN Tucson AZ at 3:00 pm
- Destination: SJC San Jose CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 1:47 pm from KRHV, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRHV 122047Z 31005G14KT 10SM SKC 26/14 A2995
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 WPR25FA277.