The 2007 N177N STINGSPORT Light Sport Aircraft crashed on 5 July 2012 about 1330 in an orchard near East Telegraph (Highway 126) and Santa Paula Canyon Roads about 3 miles east of Piru, California. The two occupants were declared dead at the scene. Two young girls witnessed the crash and one reported that "it looked like it wanted to loop or something". They heard a "loud crack" as the aircraft crashed nearby, missing their house.
The Ballistic Recovery Systems aircraft parachute in this aircraft was not deployed.
I have fourteen photos of N177N on this site, all taken at SZP including one showing the aircraft's BRS warning, which was heeded by rescuers until someone could arrive to deactivate the device.
The N117N crash site is near SZP's aerobatic waiver site east of the field. Most cross-state or -country flights to SZP arrive from the east and the aerobatic site has been criticized for its placement by some long-time SZP pilots. Pattern entry to land on Rwy 22 requires an overflight of the town of Santa Paula at 1,500 ft to enter the normal left-hand pattern. It is unknown whether SZP was the aircraft's destination.
The standard production Cirrus Design aircraft-the SR20 and SR22 series have the BRS aircraft parachute system installed as original equipment, calling it the CAPS standard feature. A number of Cirrus aircraft have crashed also without the BRS parachute being deployed, as it must be consciously activated in flight. It is not automatically deployed. The BRS aircraft parachute can be retrofitted or installed during aircraft manufacture. Some Cessnas and others can have the BRS safety feature at extra cost as BRS gains more FAA approvals.
This is the second fatal aircraft crash in Ventura County this year. On 18 May 2012 N321AX, a Hawker HUNTER aggressor aircraft operated by ATAC, a Navy contractor crashed on approach to NTD with one fatality, also reported in this Forum. N321AX photos are also on this site.