Lancair 360 accident near Orange, TX

On September 10, 2004, a Lancair 360 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Orange, TX. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

September 10, 2004

Place

Orange, TX

Aircraft

Lancair 360 · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

30.069°N, 93.804°W

NTSB ID

20040916X01440

Official records · FTW04LA236

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

NTSB summary

On September 10, 2004, approximately 1440 central daylight time, a homebuilt Lancair 360 single-engine airplane, N163DS, was destroyed following a loss of control during takeoff from Orange County Airport (ORG), near Orange, Texas. The non-instrument rated private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. The aircraft's registration was pending. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was operating in the airport's traffic pattern at the time of the accident. In a written statement, a witness who had administered the pilot's biennial flight review the day before, reported that prior to the flight, the pilot topped-off the airplane's fuel system, and then taxied to Runway 04. He watched the airplane depart and noticed that the landing gear was still extended as the airplane began to climb-out. A few minutes later, the witness heard the pilot make an announcement over the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) stating that he intended to execute a low pass over the runway, so he returned his attention back to the airplane. The witness added that he observed the airplane as it approached the runway with the landing gear extended. The witness described the airplane's speed as "moderate" as it passed over the runway at a height of 50 feet above the ground. As the airplane reached the end of the runway, it began to climb at a pitch attitude of approximately 10-15 degrees. When the airplane was approximately 800 to 1200 feet above the ground,

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff resulting in an inadvertent stall and loss of aircraft control.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.