20161001021179A

ON OCT 1ST 2016 WHILE ENROUTE FROM RALEIGH NORTH CAROLINA TO HUNTSVILLE UTAH, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF LANCAIR EVOLUTION SN EVO-0047/N38DM WITH ONE PASSENGER STOPPED TO REFUEL AT THE SELF-SERVE FUEL ISLAND OF ALLEN COUNTY AIRPORT (K88). THE PILOT HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE ISLAND TO PUMP FUEL AND WAS FORCED TO CALL THE AIPORT MANAGER. THE AIRPORT MANAGER ARRIVED 30 MINUTES LATER AT ABOUT 5:00 PM. BELIEVING THE PUMPS HAD ?LOST THEIR PRIME?, THE AIRPORT MANAGER OPENED THE VENTS ON THE FILTER HOUSING AND AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES REPORTED THE PUMPS WERE READY. THE PILOT OF N38DM THEN SWIPED HIS CARD AND AFTER ALLOWING THE FUEL PUMP TO ?BUILD PRESSURE? PROCEEDED TO FUEL ALL THREE TANKS OF N38DM. 148.76 GALLONS WAS PURCHASED ACCORDING TO AIRPORT RECORDS. AFTER FUELING, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND PASSENGER THEN BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT AND AFTER A BRIEF RUN-UP, TOOK OFF FROM THE AIRPORT HEADING SOUTH THEN TURNING WEST.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR. CLIMB OUT APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 11,000 FT. WHEN ?THE POWER WENT OUT? AND A ?BIG CHANGE IN ENGINE SOUND? WAS WITNESSED. AN OIL PRESSURE ALARM ALSO SOUNDED. A QUICK SCAN OF THE GAGES REVEALED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE READ NORMAL AT ?37 PSI?, WHILE THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE INDICATED ?0 PSI?. THE PILOT THEN PUSHED THE NOSE OVER, SWITCHED FUEL TANKS FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT, TURNED ON THE IGNITERS AND HELD DOWN THE START BUTTON BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN RESTARTING THE ENGINE. THE PILOT CALLED ATC DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND WAS VECTORED BACK TO THE AIRPORT. THE PROP WAS THEN FEATHERED USING THE CONTROL LEVER AND IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. TIME FRAME FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE POWER LOSS EVENT TO THIS POINT WAS ABOUT TWO MINUTES. THE PILOT REALIZED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOSING ALTITUDE TOO QUICKLY TO MAKE THE AIRPORT. HE SCANNED FOR AND FOUND AN ALTERNATIVE LANDING FIELD (400 STREET LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF IOLA KS (RUNNING NORTH AND SOUTH)). AN ATTEMPT AT A NORMAL LANDING WAS MADE ON 400 ST. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT CAME IN ?A LITTLE HOT? AND THE TREES ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ?GOT TO HIM FASTER THAN HE ANTICIPATED?. WHEN THE PILOT INITIALLY LINED UP ON 400 ST THERE WERE NO TREES LINING THE STREET HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT GLIDED FARTHER UP THE ROAD THEN PLANNED TO AN AREA WHERE THE TREES BECAME VERY DENSE LINING THE ROAD. AT ABOUT 10 FEET OFF THE GROUND (VERIFIED TO BE ACCURATE BY TREE DAMAGE AT THE SITE) THE AIRCRAFT HIT TREES WITH THE LEFT WINGTIP CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO STEER INTO A LARGE DEAD TREE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE PT-6 ENGINE AND PROPELLER BECAME LODGED IN THE TREE AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY RIPPED FROM THE ENGINE FIREWALL. THE MOMENTUM OF THE AIRFRAME CARRIED IT 100 FEET FURTHER UP THE ROAD AS IT SPUN 540 DEGREES AND HIT THE GROUND FLAT ON ITS BELLY (NOSE GEAR AND LEFT MAIN GEAR WERE FOUND COLLAPSED WHILE THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR WAS TORN FREE OF THE AIRFRAME). THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP FACING NEARLY 180 DEGREES FROM THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL (AIRCRAFT NOW POINTING SOUTH). THE 540 DEGREE SPIN RESULTED IN FORCED REMOVAL OF SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF BOTH WINGS FROM THE WINGTIPS INBOARD AS WELL AS THE TAIL SECTION (INCLUDING BOTH THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZER). THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE AIRFRAME SLIDE BACKWARDS ON ITS BELLY AS EVIDENCED BY BROKEN BELLY ANTENNAS AND GROUND SCARRING FOUND ON THE ROAD. THE AIRFRAME CAME TO REST RIGHT SIDE UP. AT LEAST ONE FUEL TANK RUPTURED AS EVIDENCED BY LARGE AMOUNTS OF FUEL DRAINING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. NO AFTER CRASH FIRE OCCURRED. WRECK SITE LOCATION WAS 6.2 MILES WEST AND 2.4 MILES NORTH OF THE ALAN COUNTY AIRPORT.