Accident Overview
On September 12, 2025, at about 1421 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Lancair Super ES, registration N905ET, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain near Mount Hamilton, California. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight Information
The pilot's sister reported that the pilot intended to depart from Ryan Field Airport (RYN) in Tucson, Arizona, with a destination of Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, California. Recorded ADS-B data showed that at 1300:12, the airplane was on a northeast heading at an altitude of about 8,900 feet mean sea level (msl). ADS-B contact was lost approximately 242 miles southwest of the accident site.
Witness Observations
Hunters near the accident site reported seeing the airplane circling their location at high speed about 1,000 feet above them. During a subsequent circling pattern, the airplane descended to approximately 300 feet above ground level, then executed a sharp right turn while overflying their position. The aircraft continued to bank to the right and, according to witnesses, "went straight down into the hillside at what sounded like full engine power."
Examination Findings
The accident site was located in 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-foot-tall tree with damaged limbs near the top. The debris path was oriented on a heading of about 250° magnetic and extended approximately 90 feet from the FIPC. Various portions of the airplane's flight control surfaces and propeller fragments were scattered throughout the debris path. The fuselage came to rest inverted on a heading of about 250° magnetic at an elevation of 2,148 feet msl. The aircraft was destroyed.