Please post the following:

 

Listers:

 

Lancair turbine crashes are as varied as the pilots involved in those crashes.  I am extremely upset by each and every one of those incidents.  We send representatives to virtually all of the crash sites and assist the FAA and NTSB in the investigations.  It is never easy to be part of that process, but, it does help us all to better understand what happened so that we can all further learn from the facts of that incident.

 

Years ago I began the process of working with the insurance industry to put forth certain standards that would reduce the number of accidents involving our aircraft.  Those standards include 1) building the aircraft at Lancair OR following its completion, having it inspected, for insurance purposes, by one of our Lancair approved inspectors;  2)  that the systems remain stock, that is, that there are no modifications to the airframe which are not pre-approved by our engineering staff;  3)  that the owner/operator receive training through our Lancair sponsored flight training program (HPATS).  That program includes a)  initial training;  b) recurrency training 6 months thereafter;  c)  recurrency training 6 months thereafter; and, d)  annually thereafter.  This was not a singular system thought of by myself or anyone at Lancair for the purpose of limiting the experimental enjoyment of the airframe.  It was so that AIG Insurance would provide coverage to a series of aircraft that, to that point, had not and would not have received airframe coverage.

 

While training does not guarantee safe operation of an aircraft, it greatly improves the chances that the pilot will fly as he has been trained, and in the face of an emergency will survive. 

 

What happened in Georgia? 

 

Simply put, there was a fuel starvation problem that should have resulted in a safe landing when following standard training taught by HPAT. 

 

What caused the fuel starvation problem?

 

This aircraft had a non-standard fuel system which incorporated two fuel control valves and a rear mounted auxiliary tank.

 

Was this system approved by Lancair?

 

No it was not.

 

Did the pilot receive HPAT training?

 

No he did not.  It appears that he was in control of the aircraft until he became too slow and stalled/spun into the ground.  While I do not have all of the information at present, it appears that should he have not have stalled, he might have survived the accident. 

 

Was his aircraft powered with a factory overhauled or new engine?

 

No it was not.

 

While none of these facts could singularly be determined to be the reason for the crash or the fatality, all of these facts can be interpreted as supportive of why Lancair and AIG insist on inspection, training and conformity.  It is not to control you or drive you from experimental aircraft.  It is instead to give you the best chance of continuing to enjoy the finest high performance kit aircraft in the world!