- Location: Petaluma, CA
- Accident Number: WPR27FA012
- Date & Time: October 7, 2026, 10:38 Local
- Registration: N425DG
- Aircraft: Vans RV7A
- Injuries: 2 Fatal
- Fatal Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional
https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203963/pdf
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N425DG
On October 7, 2026, about 1038 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur built Vans RV-7A, N425DG, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Petaluma, California. The pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.
According to a family member, the flight instructor was conducting a flight review with the pilot. Preliminary ADS-B flight track data showed that the airplane departed from runway 29 at Petaluma Municipal Airport (O69), Petaluma, California, about 1037:29. The airplane climbed to about 300 ft above ground level (agl) and accelerated to a ground speed of about 89 knots. The airplane crossed the departure end of runway 29 about 1037:55, at about 300 ft agl and a ground speed of 84 knots. About 1037:58, the airplane entered a turn to the right and maintained an approximate altitude of 300 ft agl, with brief altitude oscillations. The airplane's ground speed continued to decelerate until the end of the ADS-B data. At 1038:10, the data showed the airplane in a descent at about 200 ft agl and a ground speed of 63 knots. (See figure 1.)
A review of security camera footage located at O69 showed the airplane on upwind for runway 29 in a climb attitude, until it leveled off and subsequently began a turn to the right. The airplane remained at about the same altitude in the right turn. About 9 seconds after the start of the turn, the airplane's angle of bank increased and it descended in a nose down attitude into terrain.
According to a witness located near the departure end of runway 29, he heard the airplane departing and did not look up, initially. He then heard what sounded to him like an engine “backfire” and walked out of his hangar to look. He observed the accident airplane in a right bank and stated that the bank angle continued to increase. Subsequently, the airplane rolled to the left and “fell straight down” until it impacted the ground where a postcrash fire ensued.
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted an open field at an elevation of about 118 ft mean sea level (msl) about 1,300 ft north of the departure end of runway 29. The wreckage debris path was about 63 ft in length, about 60 ft wide and oriented on a magnetic heading of about 154° from the first identified point of contact (FIPC) to the main wreckage. The FIPC was a depression in the ground about 6 ft wide, 8 ft long, and about 2 ft deep. The propeller was separated from the engine slightly aft of the propeller flange and located about 57 ft northwest of the main wreckage. All 6 propeller bolts remained attached to the propeller flange. The airplane's canopy was observed about 59 ft southwest of the main wreckage. The main wreckage came to rest upright on a magnetic heading of about 299°and displayed extensive thermal damage. All major structural components of the airplane were located throughout the debris path.
The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.
The pilot/owner was 81 and tried to turn back to the runway, even though a golf course and plenty of open fields lay straight ahead. The CFI was 78, and this was clearly a case of the blind leading the blind.
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