Accident Overview
On 2 August 2025, at approximately 20:07 local time, an amateur-built Team Rocket F4 Raider, registration N31VX, crashed into the sea off Puerto de Sóller in Mallorca, Spain. The aircraft was privately operated and had departed from Binissalem aerodrome earlier that evening with the intention of performing aerobatic maneuvers over the bay. Both occupants had donned life jackets before takeoff.
According to witness statements, the aircraft was observed flying straight and level at high speed, parallel to the coastline, at an altitude of 30 to 40 meters above the sea surface. After about 20 to 25 seconds, the aircraft turned 90 degrees, bringing its wings vertical with the right wingtip pointing out to sea. The engine and propeller appeared to be operating normally. The right wingtip then skimmed the water surface, causing the aircraft to destabilize and impact the nose into the sea.
The aircraft floated briefly with the cabin upward before sinking completely within approximately one minute. Debris, including a wheel, cockpit pieces, a life jacket, and documentation, were seen floating in the area, along with a fuel slick. The wreckage came to rest on the seabed at a depth of 35 meters, about 200 meters from Cap Gros.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot (aged 59) and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed and could not be recovered from the seabed. No third-party damage occurred, though fuel was released into the sea.
Cause
The investigation determined that the cause of the accident was an acrobatic maneuver at very low altitude and high speed which caused the impact of a semi-wing with the sea.