Knapple/Wray Lancair IV-P accident near Apache Junction, AZ
On February 17, 2004, a Knapple/Wray Lancair IV-P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Apache Junction, AZ. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 17, 2004
- Place
- Apache Junction, AZ
- Aircraft
- Knapple/Wray Lancair IV-P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.441°N, 111.551°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040223X00216
Official records · LAX04LA125
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Report from Contract Air Traffic Control Personnel: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 17, 2004, about 1340 mountain standard time a Knapple/Wray Lancair IV-P experimental airplane, N330KT, impacted desert terrain, in the Lost Dutchman State Park, 5 miles north of Apache Junction, Arizona. The airplane was destroyed during the impact and post-crash fire. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airline transport certificated pilot and passenger, who were the accident airplane's builders, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot had departed from the Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona, about 1315, for a test flight in the local area. A friend and coworker of the accident pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that the pilot and passenger built the airplane. The purpose of the flight was to gain flight hours for certification purposes. The airplane was in the first stage of its certification program. The accident flight was the third test flight. After departure, the pilot planned to perform touch-and-go takeoffs and landings at the Williams Gateway Airport, located approximately 19 nautical miles (nm) from the departure airport. The airplane's fuel tanks were filled from a tank located in the passenger's vehicle prior to departure. A pilot at the Falcon Field witnessed the airplane prior to, and during its departure. He stated that the airplane performed a high-speed taxi. During the taxi, the propeller went "flat, like an over speed event." He said the airplane "barely stopped" prior to reachi
Probable cause
the pilot/builder's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering that resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.
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Browse: Arizona
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
