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20040531011169A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Hall LANCAIR 4P · Vermontville, MI · May 31, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 31, 2004 · 13:45 local
Place
Vermontville, MI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N707SH
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI04LA129
Reported as
Hall LANCAIR4P
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
1,000 total60 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N707SHRegistration cancelled Apr 18, 2017 · Hall Steve LANCAIR 4PS/N LIV-363 · Built 2000Airframe modelHall Steve LANCAIR 4PEngine modelContinental IO-550 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.

(-23) Lancair ivp N707SH, departed ypsilanti, MI (9MI0) with two passengers and baggage on board. Witnesses saw the aircraft spiraling toward the ground and heard a loud thud at approximately 1345 EDT in Vermontville, MI (eaton county) lat/long N42 37.793, W85 03.632. Pilot and both passengers were fatally injured and the aircraft was demolished. The weather at area airports was VFR with gusty winds and isolated thunderstorms. The pilot was on an IFR flight plan from yip to billings, mt and was communicating with ATC. The pilot reported turbulence and trouble maintaining altitude at 10,000 ft. and requested 12,000 ft. the pilot then reported having a control problem. Approximately 1.5 minutes later the aircraft impacted the terrain on a hill with trees on the west side of the impact area. Examination of the accident site showed all structural components of the aircraft were in close proximity of the aircraft with the tail of the aircraft sheared off from force of impact. Damage to the aircraft was consistent with a level attitude impact without much forward movement verified by the broken branches of the tree just to the west of the site. The gear was in the full down position.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) LANCAIR IVP N707SH, DEPARTED YPSILANTI, MI (9MI0) WITH TWO PASSENGERS AND BAGGAGE ON BOARD. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT SPIRALING TOWARD THE GROUND AND HEARD A LOUD THUD AT APPROXIMATELY 1345 EDT IN VERMONTVILLE, MI (EATON COUNTY) LAT/LONG N42 37.793, W85 03.632. PILOT AND BOTH PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEMOLISHED. THE WEATHER AT AREA AIRPORTS WAS VFR WITH GUSTY WINDS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. THE PILOT WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM YIP TO BILLINGS, MT AND WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ATC. THE PILOT REPORTED TURBULENCE AND TROUBLE MAINTAINING ALTITUDE AT 10,000 FT. AND REQUESTED 12,000 FT. THE PILOT THEN REPORTED HAVING A CONTROL PROBLEM. APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MINUTES LATER THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN ON A HILL WITH TREES ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE IMPACT AREA. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE SHOWED ALL STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT SHEARED OFF FROM FORCE OF IMPACT. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSISTENT WITH A LEVEL ATTITUDE IMPACT WITHOUT MUCH FORWARD MOVEMENT VERIFIED BY THE BROKEN BRANCHES OF THE TREE JUST TO THE WEST OF THE SITE. THE GEAR WAS IN THE FULL DOWN POSITION.

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 CHI04LA129Accident · 3 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportVermontville, MIThe failure of Air Route Traffic Control Center controllers to provide adverse weather avoidance assistance as required by FAA directives, which led to the airplane's encounter with a thunderstorm and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident…May 31, 2004 · Destroyed

Other reports on N707SH · 1

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

Accident 20010528011699ABennett, CO(-23)On a short sightseeing flight, the pilot moticed a fluxuating oil pressure from 0 to "10" PSI. He turnes the aircraft back towards the airport and after 2 minutes the engine made loud noise, began to vibrate and loose power. The engine seized. Forced…May 28, 2001 · No damage