Carlton M. Cadwell Lancair IV-P accident near Mesa, AZ
On April 23, 2008, a Carlton M. Cadwell Lancair IV-P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Mesa, AZ. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 23, 2008
- Place
- Mesa, AZ
- Aircraft
- Carlton M. Cadwell Lancair IV-P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.448°N, 111.737°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080428X00559
Official records · LAX08FA122
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC Final Report: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 23, 2008, at 0709 mountain standard time (MST), an experimental amateur-built Carlton Cadwell Lancair IV-P airplane, N25CL, experienced a loss of control during takeoff and subsequently impacted into an orange grove near Falcon Field Airport (FFZ), Mesa, Arizona. Boehle Aviation LLC, was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot, the private pilot/owner, and one passenger were killed; the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and post-crash fire. The cross-country personal flight departed Mesa with a planned destination of Santa Ana, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. Air traffic controllers observed the airplane during takeoff. They reported that after the airplane became airborne, about the time the gear was being retracted, they observed smoke trailing from the airplane. The controller advised the pilot of the smoke, but did not receive a response from the pilot. Witnesses observed the airplane make an abrupt climbing left turn, and then the wings rocked back and forth, followed by the airplane descending straight down into an orange grove. The airplane exploded on impact, and witnesses observed a large fireball. PERSONNEL INFORMATION COMMERCIAL PILOT A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records revealed that the 27-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot also
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during climb out resulting in an aerodynamic 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.
