OpenAirDocs.org

19980904022639A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Amtr LANCAIR 235 · Llano, CA · September 4, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 4, 1998 · 07:58 local
Place
Llano, CA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N1142W
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98FA282
Reported as
Amtr LANCAIR235
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
234 total57 in this make and model
N1142WRegistration cancelled Feb 1, 1999 · Simons Frank A LANCAIR 235S/N 114Airframe modelSimons Frank A LANCAIR 235

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.

Acft crashed in the open desert under unknown circumstances. (.19)on September 4, 1998, at 0800 hours pacific daylight time, a simon Lancair 235, N1142W, collided with desert terrain under unknown circumstances in Llano, California. The experimental aircraft was destroyed. The private pilot and sole occupant, who is also the owner and builder of the aircraft, was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions existed at the accident site. The personal flight departed the chino, California, airport at 0710 with an intended destination to redmond, Oregon. The aviation surface weather report from nearby palmdale, California, at the time of the accident was visibility 1 1/4 mil with rain showers; the lowest cloud condition was reported as few as 700 feet mean sea level (MSL); and the lowest ceiling was reported as 2,600 feet MSL. (.4)the non-instrument rated pilot received a weather briefing for his original route of flight the morning of the accident and was advised that IFR conditions existed along that route but that VFR conditions existed through the desert areas. The briefer told the pilot that mid level broken to scatt ered cloud layers were forecasted and that no thunderstorm activity was expected until after 1100. About 40 minutes into his flight,a pilot friend in a second airplane that was traveling to the same destination caught up with the pilot and they conversed via radio. The second pilot indicated that he filed an IFR flight plan due to the uncertain nature of the weather forecasts. The second pilot stated that the weather started to turn bad, and the accident pilot told him that he was going to turn back. The second pilot saw him make a 180-degree turn and descend into clouds; he did not receive any further communication from the accident pilot. Witnesses at the accident site stated that it had been raining and the clouds were all the way down to the ground, with one witness saying she could not see the neighbor's house 1/4 mile away. One witness stated that the airplane flew directly over her house no higher than 75 feet, made a tight right turn, and then crashed to the ground with a loud bang. The extensively fragmented wreckage was distributed over a distance of 718 feet. Examination of the airframe, engine, propeller, and avionics revealed no discrepancies. Reveiw of the pilot 's logbook revealed no evidence of instrument flight experience since 1958.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT CRASHED IN THE OPEN DESERT UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. (.19)ON SEPTEMBER 4, 1998, AT 0800 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A SIMON LANCAIR 235, N1142W, COLLIDED WITH DESERT TERRAIN UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN LLANO, CALIFORNIA. THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT, WHO IS ALSO THE OWNER AND BUILDER OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED THE CHINO, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT AT 0710 WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION TO REDMOND, OREGON. THE AVIATION SURFACE WEATHER REPORT FROM NEARBY PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS VISIBILITY 1 1/4 MIL WITH RAIN SHOWERS; THE LOWEST CLOUD CONDITION WAS REPORTED AS FEW AS 700 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL); AND THE LOWEST CEILING WAS REPORTED AS 2,600 FEET MSL. (.4)THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR HIS ORIGINAL ROUTE OF FLIGHT THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS ADVISED THAT IFR CONDITIONS EXISTED ALONG THAT ROUTE BUT THAT VFR CONDITIONS EXISTED THROUGH THE DESERT AREAS. THE BRIEFER TOLD THE PILOT THAT MID LEVEL BROKEN TO SCATT ERED CLOUD LAYERS WERE FORECASTED AND THAT NO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS EXPECTED UNTIL AFTER 1100. ABOUT 40 MINUTES INTO HIS FLIGHT,A PILOT FRIEND IN A SECOND AIRPLANE THAT WAS TRAVELING TO THE SAME DESTINATION CAUGHT UP WITH THE PILOT AND THEY CONVERSED VIA RADIO. THE SECOND PILOT INDICATED THAT HE FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN DUE TO THE UNCERTAIN NATURE OF THE WEATHER FORECASTS. THE SECOND PILOT STATED THAT THE WEATHER STARTED TO TURN BAD, AND THE ACCIDENT PILOT TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS GOING TO TURN BACK. THE SECOND PILOT SAW HIM MAKE A 180-DEGREE TURN AND DESCEND INTO CLOUDS; HE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION FROM THE ACCIDENT PILOT. WITNESSES AT THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN RAINING AND THE CLOUDS WERE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE GROUND, WITH ONE WITNESS SAYING SHE COULD NOT SEE THE NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE 1/4 MILE AWAY. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE FLEW DIRECTLY OVER HER HOUSE NO HIGHER THAN 75 FEET, MADE A TIGHT RIGHT TURN, AND THEN CRASHED TO THE GROUND WITH A LOUD BANG. THE EXTENSIVELY FRAGMENTED WRECKAGE WAS DISTRIBUTED OVER A DISTANCE OF 718 FEET. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME, ENGINE, PROPELLER, AND AVIONICS REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES. REVEIW OF THE PILOT 'S LOGBOOK REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF INSTRUMENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE SINCE 1958.

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 LAX98FA282Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportLlano, CAPilot's inadvertent VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions , which resulted in spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of aircraft control.Sep 4, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N1142W · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19971115038199IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Chino, CANarrative: on November 15, 1997, an experimental Lancair 235, N1142W, piloted by Mr. Frank a. simons had taxied out to runway 26 right at Chino Airport with the intent to fly. Prior to taking the active runway, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the…Nov 15, 1997 · Minor damage