Lancair 235 accident near Cordes Lakes, AZ
On October 24, 2020, a Lancair 235 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cordes Lakes, AZ. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 24, 2020
- Place
- Cordes Lakes, AZ
- Aircraft
- Lancair 235 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.298°N, 112.016°W
- NTSB ID
- 20201026102195
Official records · WPR21FA025
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 24, 2020, about 1028 mountain standard time, a Lancair 235 airplane, N25NL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cordes Lakes, Arizona. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Friends of the pilot reported that he had departed Deer Valley Airport (DVT), Phoenix, Arizona, on the day of the accident with an intended destination of Page, Arizona. On the morning of October 26, 2020, Lockheed Martin Flight Service Station was notified that the pilot had not returned to DVT on October 25. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an alert notice. The wreckage of the airplane was located by law enforcement later on October 26. No witnesses to the accident sequence were identified. The airplane was equipped with a Dynon Skyview D700 electronic flight information system and engine monitoring system. Data downloaded from the units showed the flight departed DVT about 1011 and that, about 4 minutes later, the airplane turned to a northerly heading. The airplane was in a climb until about 1023 when it reached a peak altitude of 8,000 ft above mean sea level (msl). The airplane’s indicated airspeed increased from about 130 to 150 knots while ascending. The data showed that, at 1028:38, the airplane executed a left 360° roll at an altitude of about 7,700 ft msl (see figure 1). During the maneuver, the airplane descended to about 6,500 ft, and its vertical acceleration increased from -0.7 to 2.9 G; at that time, the airplane was abou
Probable cause
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an aerobatic maneuver, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin and a loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of aerobatic experience in the accident airplane make and model.
More accidents in AZ
- De Havilland DHC-6-300, Sep 27, 1989
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Browse: Arizona · Lancair aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
