NTSB report on Icon A5 Crash
 

Unfortunately confirmed came down to pilot error as many suspected

https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/Re...Final&IType=FA

I can't help feeling that he might have been able to climb out of it if he'd just continued straight ahead up the valley. He had about 1.5nm to climb 300ft to be clear (just) giving him more space for the turn. Even if that technique wasn't sufficient, just making a forced landing straight ahead would have given better survival odds.

But, I wasn't there...

Fly safe, Sam.

I think the NTSB is being diplomatic. If you look at the maps, and bear in mind this was their chief pilot who had no doubt flown over Lake Berryessa dozens of times, there's no way he was mistaken. He didn't 'turn' into the canyon, he flew straight ahead into it, when the correct course was a sharp left turn. It would be impossible to mistake the canyon for the vast area of northern Berryessa.

I'm quite sure that he was demonstrating a canyon turn, deliberately choosing a canyon that was just wide enough, and I'm sure he'd done it plenty of times before. Both the images in the report, and some quick math, confirm that it would be easily possible. Unfortunately this time he pulled too hard (AoA goes up to 15°) and it ended badly.

There are a lot of very useful images here: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/d...163&mkey=95127

Thanks for that, I'm inclined to think you're right.

On the unfortunate flip side - all of that data in a GA accident with no real witnesses paints a very clear picture as to what actually happened rather than what might have happened without the data, its fairly cut and dry, but a huge loss and a great shame for an accident that appears to have been entirely avoidable! Great loss and very sad.. Blue skies and may they rest in peace!