2018 Cirrus VK-30 Crash Near Agua Dulce, California (N52TH)

Accident Overview and Flight History On February 11, 2018, an experimental, amateur-built Cirrus VK-30, registration N52TH, impacted terrain near Agua Dulce, California, at approximately 1059 Pacific standard time. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from Henderson Executive Airport (HND) in Las Vegas, Nevada, around 1000, with the intended destination being Van Nuys Airport (VNY). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot, who was also the aircraft's builder, had previously made this trip multiple times. A witness reported seeing the aircraft at an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 feet before it entered a vertical descent as it approached the mountains. The last radar communication occurred at 1027 when the pilot acknowledged an updated altimeter setting.