20150525014209A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Garratt Mansfield W LANCAIR 4PT · Hamilton, TX · May 25, 2015

Date: May 25, 2015 · 13:43 local
Place: Hamilton, TX
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N725HP
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN15LA241
Reported as: Garratt Mansfield W Lancair 4PT
Reported engine: DIMECH M601D
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 13,000 total130 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N725HPRegistered now · Garratt Mansfield W LANCAIR 4PTS/N LIV-508 Airframe modelGarratt Mansfield W LANCAIR 4PT

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.

On may 25, 2015, about 1335 central daylight time, a mansfield Lancair 4PT experimental amateur-built airplane, N725HP, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following a loss of engine power near Hamilton, Texas. The airline transport pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight departed the lakefront airport (new), new orleans, Louisiana, and was enroute to san angelo, Texas.

The pilot requested to air traffic control to descend to 13,000 feet mean sea level from flight level (FL) 200 due to approaching severe weather. When the airplane approached 13,000 feet, the pilot applied engine power. During the power application, the pilot heard two loud bangs and realized the engine lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the nose and right main landing gear collapsed. The right wing partially separated from the fuselage at the wing root.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 25, 2015, ABOUT 1335 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A MANSFIELD LANCAIR 4PT EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT AIRPLANE, N725HP, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR HAMILTON, TEXAS. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE LAKEFRONT AIRPORT (NEW), NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, AND WAS ENROUTE TO SAN ANGELO, TEXAS.

THE PILOT REQUESTED TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TO DESCEND TO 13,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL FROM FLIGHT LEVEL (FL) 200 DUE TO APPROACHING SEVERE WEATHER. WHEN THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED 13,000 FEET, THE PILOT APPLIED ENGINE POWER. DURING THE POWER APPLICATION, THE PILOT HEARD TWO LOUD BANGS AND REALIZED THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE RIGHT WING PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AT THE WING ROOT.

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 CEN15LA241Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHamilton, TXThe pilot’s decision to continue flight into known severe thunderstorm conditions, which resulted in the loss of engine power during the descent due to the engine’s ingestion of water and ice and a subsequent forced landing.May 25, 2015 · Substantial damage