# Accident 19980226001869A: Amtr LANCAIRIV, Coeur D Alene, ID, February 26, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 26, 1998, 07:50 local time
- Place: Coeur D Alene, ID
- Airport: Coeur D Alene Air Term Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 47.7799° N, 116.7109° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.7799&lon=-116.7109&mi=10
- Aircraft: N109GF, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N109GF-1998-09-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Freije George LANCAIR IV (registry code 05604EZ, https://openairdocs.org/model/freije-george-lancair-iv) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR LANCAIRIV
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1F5
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 5,044 total, 70 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98FA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98FA040) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980226001869A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA98FA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98FA040), Feb 26, 1998: Freije Lancair IV (N109GF), Garwood, ID, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.