N166TWAirplane Factory (Pty) Ltd The SLING · 2014

On April 09, 2026, about 1224 Pacific daylight time, an Airplane Factory (Pty) Ltd. Sling 2 airplane, N166TW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Avalon, California. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot and pilot-rated passenger departed Zamperini Field Airport (TOA), Torrance, California, at 1153 on a personal flight to Santa Catalina Island, California. Preliminary Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that the airplane departed TOA, crossed open water and arrived over Santa Catalina Island at Blue Cavern Point. The airplane then crossed a ridge and flew southbound through a canyon east of Little Harbor Road before crossing another ridgeline, intersecting the Trans Catalina Trail north of Shark Harbor. The airplane subsequently followed the southern coastline before the ADS-B signal was lost about a mile southwest of the accident site.

Figure 1 ADS-B and hiker's GPS track overlay

A witness, located on the ground hiking the Trans Catalina Trail, reported seeing a low flying airplane dip into Little Springs Canyon, cross over the ridgeline that the trail traversed, and continue a southwesterly heading. The witness noted that the airplane appeared to be less than 50 ft above the ridgeline and was never seen flying more than 100 ft above the ground. ADS-B data, cross-referenced with GPS unit data provided by the hiker, indicated that the airplane witnessed was likely N166TW. This encounter occurred about 11 minutes before the time of the accident, about 9 miles northwest of the accident site.

Figure 2 Accident airplane at accident site (NTSB Photo)

The airplane impacted terrain and came to rest on the down sloping side of a steep canyon, about 400 ft southwest of the intersection of Divide Road and Avalon Canyon Road. All four corners of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The wreckage was oriented with the nose low and empennage elevated at a high angle above the terrain. The tail section from the forward horizontal stabilizer sustained impact damage and remained attached to the aft fuselage only by the elevator push pull tube. The engine compartment and lower fuselage, to about mid-fuselage, were compressed upward and aft into the firewall and instrument panel. This impact damage, combined with the difficult terrain, prevented the confirmation of flight control continuity at the scene. The ignition switch was on, and the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank. The flap setting cockpit indications and the position of the flaps indicated that they were fully retracted at the time of impact. The ballistic parachute rocket, installed in the airplane, had not been deployed.

Data cards and motherboards from avionics, along with other electronic devices aboard the accident airplane, were retained and sent to the NTSB Recorders Lab in Washington D.C. for flight data extraction.

The wreckage has been recovered to a secure facility for further examination.