What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Sunday, October 20, 2024, an experimental amatuer built Lancair 360, registered as privacy data omitted, serial number 660-320-404FB, was involved in an accident at Cross City Airport (kcty) in Cross City, FL. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft and fatal injuries to the pilot and passenger.
The aircraft originally departed atmore municipal airport (OR1) in altmore, al under an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan destined for Cross City Airport (kcty) in Cross City, FL.
While enroute, air traffic control (ATC) lost contact with the aircraft. ATC advised that they thought the aircraft was experiencing an electrical failure. ATC contacted the fixed based operator (FBO) staff at kcty regarding N510G.
An eyewitness from kcty reported that the engine was “spitting, sputtering, and popping” when it overflew the airport office. He added that the aircraft looked like it was trying to enter a left hand traffic pattern for runway 22 even though the “full” windsock favored runway 4. He recalled that the aircraft looked like they tried to correct and enter a traffic pattern for runway 4. All of a sudden the aircraft “nose-dived” into the ground, with its left wing down first attitude.
The post accident scene revealed ground scarring and at least two points of impact. The aircraft’s right hand wing seperated from the fuselage. The variable pitch propellor was sheared off from the engine but intact. The tail of the aircraft was relativly intact from the rear baggage compartment aft. The aircraft showed signs if compression and buckling just forward of elevator / horizontal stabilizer. The landing gear handle was in the “up” position. The continuity of the flight controls was only visible to the ailerons. Both left hand and right hand fuel tanks were noted as “dry” with no visible fuel present. No post accident fire was observed or noted.
As the FAA filed it
ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2024, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATUER BUILT LANCAIR 360, REGISTERED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SERIAL NUMBER 660-320-404FB, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT CROSS CITY AIRPORT (KCTY) IN CROSS CITY, FL. THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND FATAL INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND PASSENGER.
THE AIRCRAFT ORIGINALLY DEPARTED ATMORE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (OR1) IN ALTMORE, AL UNDER AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN DESTINED FOR CROSS CITY AIRPORT (KCTY) IN CROSS CITY, FL.
WHILE ENROUTE, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) LOST CONTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT. ATC ADVISED THAT THEY THOUGHT THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXPERIENCING AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. ATC CONTACTED THE FIXED BASED OPERATOR (FBO) STAFF AT KCTY REGARDING N510G.
AN EYEWITNESS FROM KCTY REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS “SPITTING, SPUTTERING, AND POPPING” WHEN IT OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT OFFICE. HE ADDED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS TRYING TO ENTER A LEFT HAND TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 22 EVEN THOUGH THE “FULL” WINDSOCK FAVORED RUNWAY 4. HE RECALLED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LOOKED LIKE THEY TRIED TO CORRECT AND ENTER A TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 4. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE AIRCRAFT “NOSE-DIVED” INTO THE GROUND, WITH ITS LEFT WING DOWN FIRST ATTITUDE.
THE POST ACCIDENT SCENE REVEALED GROUND SCARRING AND AT LEAST TWO POINTS OF IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT’S RIGHT HAND WING SEPERATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE VARIABLE PITCH PROPELLOR WAS SHEARED OFF FROM THE ENGINE BUT INTACT. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELATIVLY INTACT FROM THE REAR BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT AFT. THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED SIGNS IF COMPRESSION AND BUCKLING JUST FORWARD OF ELEVATOR / HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE “UP” POSITION. THE CONTINUITY OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WAS ONLY VISIBLE TO THE AILERONS. BOTH LEFT HAND AND RIGHT HAND FUEL TANKS WERE NOTED AS “DRY” WITH NO VISIBLE FUEL PRESENT. NO POST ACCIDENT FIRE WAS OBSERVED OR NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.