20121229028759A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Mckenzie Greg LANCAIR IV-P TURBINE · Santee, CA · December 29, 2012

Date: December 29, 2012 · 10:15 local
Place: Santee, CA
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N5M
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13FA076
Reported as: Mckenzie Greg Lancair IV-P Turbine
Reported engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 3
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N5MRegistration cancelled Mar 27, 2025 · Mckenzie Greg LANCAIR IV-P TURBINES/N LIV-490 Airframe modelMckenzie Greg LANCAIR IV-P TURBINE Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

The pilot departed kmyf on a VFR flight. After departure the pilot flew into class b airspace without clearance. The kmyf ATCT handed the pilot off to socal TRACON. The radar track showed the aircraft at varying altitudes and as fast as 230 KTS initially. Once handed off to socal TRACON the pilot was given a heading. The aircraft initiated a climb and according to the radar track it was going 230 KTS. During the climb the aircraft ascended to 6700 feet MSL where it was shown to be going 110 KTS. At this point the radar track stopped and the airspeed eventually indicated zero airspeed. Witnesses stated that they saw the aircraft come out of the clouds in a "flat" spin and then impacted the ground in mountainous terrain. The san diego county sheriffs were the first to arrive on the scene. All 3 occupants were deceased.

The pilot was not instrument rated and it appears that he entered the clouds and became disoriented and lost control of the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT DEPARTED KMYF ON A VFR FLIGHT. AFTER DEPARTURE THE PILOT FLEW INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLEARANCE. THE KMYF ATCT HANDED THE PILOT OFF TO SOCAL TRACON. THE RADAR TRACK SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT AT VARYING ALTITUDES AND AS FAST AS 230 KTS INITIALLY. ONCE HANDED OFF TO SOCAL TRACON THE PILOT WAS GIVEN A HEADING. THE AIRCRAFT INITIATED A CLIMB AND ACCORDING TO THE RADAR TRACK IT WAS GOING 230 KTS. DURING THE CLIMB THE AIRCRAFT ASCENDED TO 6700 FEET MSL WHERE IT WAS SHOWN TO BE GOING 110 KTS. AT THIS POINT THE RADAR TRACK STOPPED AND THE AIRSPEED EVENTUALLY INDICATED ZERO AIRSPEED. WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY SAW THE AIRCRAFT COME OUT OF THE CLOUDS IN A "FLAT" SPIN AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY SHERIFFS WERE THE FIRST TO ARRIVE ON THE SCENE. ALL 3 OCCUPANTS WERE DECEASED.

THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED AND IT APPEARS THAT HE ENTERED THE CLOUDS AND BECAME DISORIENTED AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.

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 WPR13FA076Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportLakeside, CAThe pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while attempting a visual climb through a broken cloud layer, which resulted in a stall/spin.Dec 29, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5M · 1

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

Accident 20060508007809ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · San Diego, CA(-23) On may 8, 2006, N5M, a Lancair iv-pt homebuilt aircraft, experienced a left main landing gear collapse after landing at Montgomery field, runway 28R, San Diego, CA. The pilot reported that during the approach to landing a total aircraft electrical…May 8, 2006 · Substantial damage