What happened
On October 20, 2024, at approximately 1424 mountain daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugbau GmbH EA 300/L, registration N512DW, was destroyed during an accident at Las Cruces International Airport (LRU) in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The aircraft was being operated as a Part 91 air show flight as part of the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo.
The pilot's aerobatic routine had commenced at 1414 and was scheduled to last 15 minutes. Video footage from spectators captured the aircraft performing two forward tumble maneuvers along the lateral pitch axis. As the aircraft entered a third tumble, it stopped the maneuver while in an inverted, nearly level attitude. The aircraft then pitched downward into a nose-low upright attitude of approximately 60° to 70° and began a right roll immediately before impacting the ground. Witnesses noted that the aircraft had successfully recovered from two previous forward tumbles prior to the final impact.
The aircraft came to rest in desert terrain roughly 200 feet northwest of runway 4/22 at an elevation of 4,434 feet, oriented on a heading of 130° magnetic. The initial impact was consistent with the right wing tip, which subsequently separated from the aircraft. A crater approximately 6 feet in diameter and 1 foot deep was found at the wing root. The main wreckage was located about 20 feet beyond this crater, and all major structural components were accounted for at the site.
The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.