19980226001869A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr LANCAIR IV · Coeur D Alene, ID · February 26, 1998

Date: February 26, 1998 · 07:50 local
Place: Coeur D Alene, ID
Airport: Coeur D Alene Air Term Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N109GF
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA98FA040
Reported as: Amtr Lancairiv
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540K1F5
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,044 total70 in this make and model

N109GFRegistration cancelled Sep 28, 1998 · Freije George LANCAIR IVS/N LIV-109 · Built 1997 Airframe modelFreije George LANCAIR IV Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Filed IFR departed into IMC. Lost control within 3 minutes. Crashed into a residence. Not IFR current. (.4) the pilot of the experimental aircraft, who had been on an IFR departure in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), began maneuvering around the vicinity of alpine lake. After a period of between three to five minutes, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, descended out of the low ceiling, and impacted an unoccupied personal residence. At the time of the accident, it was snowing heavily in areas around alpine lake, and the visibility was estimated to be one-half mile or less. After the accident, a review of the pilot's log showed that he had recorded only one and nine-tenths hour of instrument time in the last year, and only one hour in the last six months. His log did not show any hours of actual or simulated instrument time in the model aircraft he was flying at the time of the accident. There was no evidence of any pre-impact engine anomaly or vacuum system malfunction.

As the FAA filed it

FILED IFR DEPARTED INTO IMC. LOST CONTROL WITHIN 3 MINUTES. CRASHED INTO A RESIDENCE. NOT IFR CURRENT. (.4) THE PILOT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, WHO HAD BEEN ON AN IFR DEPARTURE IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), BEGAN MANEUVERING AROUND THE VICINITY OF ALPINE LAKE. AFTER A PERIOD OF BETWEEN THREE TO FIVE MINUTES, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, DESCENDED OUT OF THE LOW CEILING, AND IMPACTED AN UNOCCUPIED PERSONAL RESIDENCE. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY IN AREAS AROUND ALPINE LAKE, AND THE VISIBILITY WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ONE-HALF MILE OR LESS. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, A REVIEW OF THE PILOT'S LOG SHOWED THAT HE HAD RECORDED ONLY ONE AND NINE-TENTHS HOUR OF INSTRUMENT TIME IN THE LAST YEAR, AND ONLY ONE HOUR IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS. HIS LOG DID NOT SHOW ANY HOURS OF ACTUAL OR SIMULATED INSTRUMENT TIME IN THE MODEL AIRCRAFT HE WAS FLYING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PRE-IMPACT ENGINE ANOMALY OR VACUUM SYSTEM MALFUNCTION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA98FA040Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportGarwood, IDThe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after entering known adverse weather. Related factors were, the pilot's failure to follow the published IFR departure procedures, low ceilings and snow, and the pilot's lack of recent instrument experience.Feb 26, 1998 · Destroyed