Fatal Accident Resulted After Power loss, Cockpit Obscuration

From The NTSB Preliminary Report: On January 4, 2020, about 1009, Pacific standard time, an experimental amateur-built TM-1 Thunder Mustang (file photo, attached to story) airplane, N151WR, was destroyed when it collided with terrain about 2 miles southeast of Santa Clarita, California. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane departed Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California, about 0955.

Several witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering at a low altitude with smoke trailing from the airplane just before impact. Additionally, the pilot made a distress call to the VNY controller stating a cockpit visibility issue and a loss of engine power.

Examination of the wreckage by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge revealed that the airplane struck a tall tree and subsequently came to rest in a grassy field located in the median of an interstate's off-ramp cloverleaf roadway. All major components of the airplane necessary for flight were located at the accident site. The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further examination...

FMI: www.ntsb.org