I saw one post on the LML shortly after 28 December, the day of this accident, and have seen nothing since.

 

If this is redundant info, please forgive me for posting it. Note the last line of print!  

 

Ron Brice

Legacy N27RM, in the paint shop

 

NTSB Identification: LAX03LA055

accident occurred Saturday, December 28, 2002 at PAYSON, AZ
Aircraft:LIPSCOMB LANCAIR 235, registration: N777KL
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 December 28, 2002, at 1510 hours mountain standard time, an experimental Lipscomb Lancair 235, N777KL, collided with terrain after a loss of control during an aborted landing on runway 24 at the Payson Airport (PAN), Payson, Arizona. The airplane was operated by the pilot/owner under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and sustained substantial damage. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed PAN about 1420, and was scheduled to terminate at PAN.

According to a witness, the pilot had purchased the airplane on December 26. The witness stated that on the day of the accident, he had taxied the airplane from the hangar to the ramp so that the accident pilot could do some fast taxi tests. On the second taxi test the airplane became airborne, and the pilot departed the airport environment. The witness made several attempts to radio the pilot; however, there was no response.

Another witness stated that he and his family were about 10 to 15 minutes out of PAN when they heard UNICOM attempting to contact a pilot. UNICOM informed them to be on the lookout for an experimental airplane that was not communicating with anyone, but was in the area. The witness stated that they saw the airplane, and continued with their landing. Once they landed they taxied to the refueling pit. They were speaking to some of the airport people when they saw the accident airplane. The witness stated that the airplane made two approaches that culminated in go-arounds. On the third approach, the airplane landed hard about 1,500 feet down the runway. The airplane bounced into the air, landed back on the runway, and they heard the engine power up to abort the landing. The witnesses saw the airplane's nose pitch up, pitch down, then the left wing dropped, and the airplane impacted the ground.

The witness who had taxied the airplane stated that he heard the engine power up during the aborted landing. The airplane became airborne. He saw the left wing bobble, then the airplane made a 90-degree left turn, rolled inverted, and impacted the ground.

Other ground witnesses reported that the pilot had trouble maintaining pitch control. One witness stated that the "pitch attitude was all over the place. Nose up, nose down . . . nose up, nose down." Another witness stated that while he was out flying, he had a near miss with the accident airplane.

A review of the pilot's logbook by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the pilot had no Lancair flight time, and had not flown since May 2002.

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