Bulmer Lancair IV-P accident near Somerset, PA
On May 10, 2006, a Bulmer Lancair IV-P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Somerset, PA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 10, 2006
- Place
- Somerset, PA
- Aircraft
- Bulmer Lancair IV-P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.039°N, 79.014°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060522X00601
Official records · NYC06LA112
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 10, 2006, at 1525 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Lancair IV-P, N5473, was destroyed following an uncontrolled descent after takeoff from runway 7 at Somerset County Airport (2G9), Somerset, Pennsylvania. Both certificated commercial pilots were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the ferry flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The purpose of the flight was to deliver the airplane to its owner on the west coast; however, the planned stopover destinations could not be determined. Several witnesses observed the accident flight, and their versions of the event remained consistent. According to the witnesses, the airplane engine started, and the crew appeared to go through an extensive series of checks for approximately 10 minutes prior to takeoff. The engine idled smoothly, and was accelerated several times prior to taxi, once to full power. The engine ran smoothly and without interruption throughout the pre-takeoff checks. At takeoff, the airplane accelerated smoothly, and rotated at a point along the runway that was "later than usual." The airplane pitched nose-up about "20 to 30 degrees" in the climb, and the landing gear retracted. When the airplane reached treetop height, black smoke trailed from the engine exhaust system, the engine "sputtered," and then stopped producing power. The airplane entered a "smooth roll" to the left, yawed left, and then "plunged" to the ground, near vertically. The witnesses said the turn after the loss of engine power, was performed at a "very high de
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed after takeoff to preclude a stall, which resulted in a loss of control and an inadvertent stall. Factors associated with the accident are the inadvertent stall, the loss of engine power due to the pilot's inadvertent activation of the high pressure auxiliary fuel pump, and the pilot's failure to abort the takeoff after receiving abnormal engine a
More accidents in PA
- Boeing B-737-300, Sep 8, 1994
- Boeing 757, Sep 11, 2001
- British Aerospace J-3101, May 21, 2000
- Bell UH-1N, May 29, 2008
- Beech A36, Jul 30, 1989
Browse: Pennsylvania
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
