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From: Metcalfe, Lee, AIR [mailto:Lee.Metcalfe@jocogov.org] I have been maintaining a summary table of Lancair accidents in the NTSB
database for a couple of years. Below I have cut and pasted the
explanation portion of each entry for a four-seat Lancair (IV, IV-P,
IV-P-T, ES, Super ES) from my table. The full table (Word document) is
attached to this message.
CAVEAT: The explanations are my paraphrasing, with some interpretation
in a few cases, of the NTSB narrative. This is not meant to be an
absolute factual report of the circumstances. I have been keeping the
table primarily for my own education in trying to be a safer pilot. If
anyone has more details about a particular incident that would help us
all understand what happened, I'd like to hear them.
Lee Metcalfe
N320WH - Kansas City
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Aircraft had 16 hours since first flight, during local test flight
witnesses reported flames and smoke emanating from the lower cowl,
aircraft crashed into trees and burned, cause of in-flight fire could
not be determined.
On maiden flight, pilot aborted first landing attempt, on go-around
engine "spooled down", aircraft struck power line and trees during
forced landing, fuel pump driveshaft had failed.
Aircraft was flying with a modified fuel selector valve to allow a
"both" position, right tank was empty, left had 32 gallons, engine lost
power and aircraft crash-landed, fuel valve was bench-tested and found
to allow air from the empty tank to leak into fuel flow and lean out the
mixture, evidence of engine damage from excessively lean mixture.
Delivery pilot giving familiarization ride to new owner, flying
southwesterly an hour before sunset, flew into gradually rising terrain
in apparent controlled flight.
Instrument-rated pilot took off into hard IMC with icing forecast,
became disoriented and lost control, no recent instrument time and no
instrument time in a Lancair IV.
IV-P being ferried from Azores to Newfoundland never arrived, presumed
lost at sea.
Lancair was holding short for take-off, Hawker Sea Fury taxied into his
tail!
Pilot was practicing short field approaches with high rate of descent,
landed hard and collapsed left main, wing struck runway "markers".
Landed long with a 10-knot tailwind, ran off end of runway, pilot
reported right brake "soft", it was found to be leaking, density
altitude was over 9,200'.
Descending from 10,500' to 6,500' (1,300 agl) pilot pulled power back
to 15", when he applied power to level off no response, clipped power
lines with the rudder on approach to an open field, pilot suspected
engine was flooded.
Upon lift-off aircraft entered a steep bank to the right at 20' agl,
right wing contacted the ground, aircraft impacted ground and gear
collapsed.
Aircraft struck a 15' levee 50' short of the threshold of the intended
runway, pilot was unaware of levee or 225' displaced threshold, said he
could not see runway markings due to pitch attitude of aircraft, pilot
had 127 hrs. in the accident aircraft.
During cruise pilot noticed smoke coming out of cowling, initiated
precautionary landing, prop would not respond to power increases,
aircraft nosed over in off-airport landing, aircraft was equipped with a
marine conversion V-8 with belt drive, belt had melted due to overheated
bearing in belt-drive unit.
Lost oil pressure in cruise, forced landing into field, gear buckled and
right wing sheered, starter adapter drive shaft had fractured allowing
oil to be pumped overboard.
During approach after a 4-hour cross-country pilot advised tower he
would not make the airport and crashed 2 miles out. Owner of the
aircraft said it had 72-gallon tanks as opposed to standard 80 gallons.
Took off for pattern work, turning to downwind aircraft slowed rapidly,
"made a couple of abrupt moves side to side," veered away from the
airport and nose-dived into the ground.
Engine lost power during cruise, pilot did not get gear down in time
during stretched glide to airport, aircraft bellied in, found paper
towel in intake manifold and pieces of paper towel in turbocharger.
During a touch-and-go, witnesses heard a popping sound, saw aircraft in
steep right turn, following 3 more rapid pops aircraft nosed down into
wooded area and exploded.
Very experienced Lancair pilot unfamiliar with private 2200' x 40'
runway with trees on either side, flew unstable final, touched down with
right main off pavement and veered into trees.
On 5-mile visual approach after 3-hour-plus cross-country, pilot
reported losing power, witness reported a steep right turn followed by
steep dive into a field just short of a housing development.
During third attempt to land aircraft departed runway under heavy
braking 2,300' down a 3,000' runway, struck runway lights, ditch &
fence.
Fifth flight since completion, performing stall sequences, failed to
recover from stall/spin.
S-turning on short final for spacing behind slower aircraft,
inadvertently contacted runway while turning.
IFR cross-country, maneuvering to avoid thunderstorms, broke up in
flight.
After being warned of possible wake turbulence from preceding aircraft,
pilot attempted take-off and lost control, landing hard and collapsing
gear.
Pilot distracted by copying complex IFR clearance during pre-take-off
check, forgot to extend flaps to take-off position, during rotation
aircraft settled back on runway, drifted off the right side of the
runway and struck a sign, came to rest upright in grass.
Turbine IV-P on third test flight. Pilot witness saw aircraft in a flat
spin before impact.
Mexican owner purchased American-built IV-P, receiving qualification
instruction from American CFI using interpreter, witnesses reported
stall/spin.
Aircraft fell out of sky during sight-seeing flight over Grand Canyon.
No details.
Pilot reported unable to maintain altitude, witness reported seeing
plane in flat spin just prior to impact.
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