Pilot seriously injured after experimental plane stalls and crashes near Big Bear Airport

A pilot suffered serious injuries Thursday evening, Aug. 27, when his experimental airplane stalled and crashed in a field just east of Big Bear Airport, authorities said. The aircraft — a yellow Steen Skybolt — had departed the airport and was attempting to return to land when its engine stalled, sending the plane nose-down into the field.[1]

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies arrived on scene around 6:20 p.m. and found the aircraft resting nose-down with only the pilot aboard.[1] The plane had tipped onto its nose upon impact.[1] No injuries or damage were reported on the ground beyond the aircraft itself, the Sheriff's Department said.[1]

The pilot was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital. As of early Friday afternoon, Aug. 28, his name and condition had not been publicly released.[1] The airplane is registered to a resident of Mohave Valley, Arizona, and received its FAA airworthiness certificate in 2004.[1]

The pilot's identity and a statement from him or his family could not be confirmed at the time of publication.

What's next

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash.[1] No preliminary findings had been released as of publication. Residents seeking updates can monitor the NTSB's public accident database at ntsb.gov.