Return-Path: Sender: (Marvin Kaye) To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 14:13:05 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from [63.150.227.63] (HELO admsmxs2usr10.ad.jocoks.com) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2b2) with ESMTP id 3199142 for lml@lancaironline.net; Fri, 30 Apr 2004 11:30:22 -0400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.0.6487.1 content-class: urn:content-classes:message MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: [LML] 511WD Prelim Report X-Original-Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 10:30:22 -0500 X-Original-Message-ID: <4B9B1B1833408C40AE2F14A881F276F6020910A8@admsmxs2usr10.ad.jocoks.com> X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: [LML] 511WD Prelim Report Thread-Index: AcQuyA0Q7ZbDBCY3RyOk2SIddUZ9wg== From: "Metcalfe, Lee, AIR" X-Original-To: "Lancair Mailing List" NTSB Identification: ATL04LA097 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation Accident occurred Friday, April 23, 2004 in Oakland, TN Aircraft: Durr Lancair Leacy, registration: N511WD Injuries: 1 Fatal. This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. On April 23, 2004, at 1002 central daylight time, a Durr, Lancair Legacy, N511WD, registered to C and D Aircraft Sales, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, encountered weather while in radio contact with Memphis Air Traffic Control Tower, Departure Radar East (ATCT). Radio and radar contact was lost at 10:00. Attempts to reestablish contact with the pilot was unsuccessful. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed and located in the vicinity of Oakland, Tennessee. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Diamond Head, Mississippi, on April 23, 2004, at 0840. According to Greenwood Automated Flight Service Station, the pilot filed an instrument flight plan and obtained an abbreviated weather briefing. The pilot informed the briefer that he knew about the weather along his planned route of flight and he wanted to know about the thunderstorm activity. At the end of the briefing the pilot told the briefer that he was going to go take a look. Review of transcripts between Memphis ATCT revealed the pilot was at 6,000 feet and requested assistance to deviate around rain showers and thunderstorms. The controller informed the pilot that he was going to run into a 10 mile band of showers that was crossing his flight path. The controller stated, the quickest way through the weather was on a heading of 330-degrees. The pilot stated, "alright sir we'll go to three thirty and we'll slow down a little bit." A short time later the controller informed the pilot that it appeared the airplane was encountering some up drafts. The controller told the pilot there were no targets around his altitude, and he should be out of the weather in about 10 miles. The pilot acknowledged the transmission. The controller made a radio call in the blind stating that radar contact was lost 30 miles northeast of Memphis. He further stated, if you can hear, suggest a heading of northwest bound to get through the weather. You are in an area of level four and level five thunderstorms. No communication was received from the pilot. Review of radar data revealed the airplane started a descending right turn at 09:58:54 and the last radar beacon code was at 14:59:12.