Northrop N9M flying wing crashes in California

[ZacYates]

Several local news outlets and the FAA are reporting that a Northrop N9M has crashed in the yard of a prison in California. Given the only flying example is owned and operated by Planes of Fame - and the FAA confirm the accident aircraft departed from Chino - it seems pretty certain which aircraft it is.

www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/NorCo-Small-Plane-Crash-prison-grounds-508908061.html
www.dailybulletin.com/2019/04/22/plane-reportedly-goes-down-near-norco-prison-chp-en-route/
ktla.com/2019/04/22/plane-crashes-in-prison-yard-of-facility-in-norco-faa/
www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/27594/rare-and-historic-northrop-flying-wing-crashes-into-prison-yard-in-california
abc7.com/historic-small-plane-crashes-at-state-prison-in-norco/5264698/
www.kusi.com/small-plane-crashes-in-southern-california-prison-yard/

Each report says no ground injuries but nothing on the pilot as yet. It's a sad loss of a special aircraft that by all accounts was a popular airshow performer, I hope the pilot is ok.

[planewriting]

That is very sad but then on reading the first news item: www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/NorCo-Small-Plane-Crash-prison-grounds-508908061.html I read'A battalion chief at the scene said the Cessna plane went down in an area of the prison under construction". The loss of any aircraft is not good but there are quite a lot of Cessnas still around...

[ZacYates]

Every other news piece reports the aircraft as the N9M.

It seems the pilot was killed, awful news. The pictures of the scene just blow me away: ktla.com/2019/04/22/plane-crashes-in-prison-yard-of-facility-in-norco-faa/

[angelsonefive]

It was the last N9M. A really sad event. Pilot gone too, R.I.P.

ASN link here : aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=224245

[vultee43]

Thoughts go out to the family of the pilot. Tragic event.

[FlyingKiwi]

That's really sad, and what an absolutely devastating accident scene. I read an article very recently on it in the EAA Sport Aviation magazine and the pilot (unfortunately possibly the same one involved in the accident) commented that it has some unusual handling qualities on account of the short "fuselage". Obviously much too early to think what might have been the cause but I think it is safe to say looking at the wreckage a massive loss of control has occurred for some reason.