20230128000739A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Richard Brinkman LANCAIR 4P · Hartford, CT · January 28, 2023

Date: January 28, 2023 · 15:42 local
Place: Hartford, CT
Airport: Hartford-Brainard
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N550LX
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA23LA121
Reported as: Richard Brinkman Lancair 4P
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada T74-CP-700
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N550LXRegistered now · Richard Brinkman LANCAIR 4PS/N 006 · Built 1999 Airframe modelRichard Brinkman LANCAIR 4P Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada T74-CP-700Turbo-prop

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.

14:16 Hours local time FBO personnel towed the aircraft to the ramp. An hour later, the pilot arrived and began preflight walk around at 15:18 hours. He entered the aircraft at 15:19 hours. Engine start occurred at 15:23 hours, taxied to runway 20 at 15:28 hours. Aircraft began takeoff roll at 15:32 hours. Pilot aborted takeoff and reported to the tower that he was experiencing a nose gear shimmy and returned to the aircraft ramp. The pilot did not exit the aircraft but did taxi in circles on the ramp pausing intermittently and returned to runway 20 at 15:39 hours. Upon receiving a second clearance for takeoff, the pilot began the takeoff roll at 15:42 hours. The aircraft became airborne and immediately banked left, reaching approximately a 90-degree bank and crashing into the terrain left (south) of the runway, coming to rest approximately 500 feet from the edge of the runway. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash and post-crash fire.

As the FAA filed it

14:16 HOURS LOCAL TIME FBO PERSONNEL TOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RAMP. AN HOUR LATER, THE PILOT ARRIVED AND BEGAN PREFLIGHT WALK AROUND AT 15:18 HOURS. HE ENTERED THE AIRCRAFT AT 15:19 HOURS. ENGINE START OCCURRED AT 15:23 HOURS, TAXIED TO RUNWAY 20 AT 15:28 HOURS. AIRCRAFT BEGAN TAKEOFF ROLL AT 15:32 HOURS. PILOT ABORTED TAKEOFF AND REPORTED TO THE TOWER THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING A NOSE GEAR SHIMMY AND RETURNED TO THE AIRCRAFT RAMP. THE PILOT DID NOT EXIT THE AIRCRAFT BUT DID TAXI IN CIRCLES ON THE RAMP PAUSING INTERMITTENTLY AND RETURNED TO RUNWAY 20 AT 15:39 HOURS. UPON RECEIVING A SECOND CLEARANCE FOR TAKEOFF, THE PILOT BEGAN THE TAKEOFF ROLL AT 15:42 HOURS. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND IMMEDIATELY BANKED LEFT, REACHING APPROXIMATELY A 90-DEGREE BANK AND CRASHING INTO THE TERRAIN LEFT (SOUTH) OF THE RUNWAY, COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN THE CRASH AND POST-CRASH FIRE.

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 ERA23LA121Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportHartford, CTThe pilot’s takeoff with a significant fuel imbalance, which resulted in the airplane lacking the roll authority to overcome the left rolling tendency and subsequently impacting terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight…Jan 28, 2023 · Substantial damage