What happened
On June 15, 2024, at approximately 12:36 PDT, a Lockheed 12A, registration N93R, was involved in an accident near Chino, California. The aircraft was being operated under Part 91 for a personal flight intended to prepare for a three-airplane formation flight as part of a Father's Day event hosted by the Yanks Air Museum.
During the preflight inspection, it was believed the co-pilot lowered the flaps as part of a functional test. During engine start, ground crew members used hand and arm signals to alert the flight crew that the flaps were extended. Observations from the ground crew suggested the flaps remained fully extended during taxi and the takeoff roll on runway 26R. Witnesses at the airport and video footage confirmed the aircraft took off with the flaps extended and maintained this configuration during the initial climb.
As the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 200 to 300 feet above ground level near the departure end of the runway, it pitched up, turned left, and entered a nose-low attitude. The aircraft descended into the terrain, and a post-crash fire occurred. The accident resulted in 2 fatal injuries for the pilot and co-pilot.
The investigation
Examination of the accident site showed the aircraft impacted the terrain approximately 170 feet southwest of the departure end of runway 26R. The first point of contact was a ground scar measuring 29 feet long, 18 inches wide, and 8 inches deep. The debris path extended approximately 220 feet on a heading of 203° magnetic.
Investigators found shattered glass panes consistent with the center windscreens within the debris path. Fragments of aluminum wing skin, the left wing, and the aileron were located throughout the path. The fuselage came to rest upright at an elevation of 619 feet mean sea level. While the left wing was fragmented and largely consumed by fire, the right wing remained attached at the root, and the right wing flap was found in the extended position.