French Racing Plane Went Down In A Field Near Camarillo Airport

A French racing airplane known as "Big Frog" went down Wednesday in a  field in outside Camarillo, CA. The pilot suffered only a minor leg wound, but the FAA preliminary report lists the aircraft as "destroyed."

According to the FAA document, the NXT experimental airplane "crashed in a field short of the runway near Camarillo, CA." The Ventura County Star reports that, according to a local fire department official, the Nemesis NXT had been at the Camarillo airport for several days practicing takeoffs and landings.

Ventura County Fire Department captain Dan Preston said the pilot, who was not identified, reported issues with his landing gear, and then a loss of power before he went down in the field. The plane's speed was estimated at about 120 mph when it impacted terrain. Its wings sheared off as it traveled across the ground, as did portions of the fuselage. It finally stopped after hitting a plastic shed where strawberries are grown.

Preston said about 80 gallons of fuel were lost from ruptured fuel tanks on the airplane. According to the CAFE foundation blog, this NXT aircraft is diesel-powered (the rest are somewhat conventional piston), and only about 10 versions of this airframe have been built. (Image provided by Big Frog Racing)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov