- Date
- December 25, 2010, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Troy, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N385ASAllen Raymond H Lancair Legacy
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminstration
- FAA report
- 20101225053939A
- Case key
- 78083
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was the structural icing on the airframe.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Prior to the flight, the pilot obtained a weather briefing and there were no reports of icing along the intended route of flight. The experimental airplane was equipped with a de-ice system, and during the preflight inspection, the system was operational and continued to be operational during the flight. Prior to entering icing conditions, the pilot said the de-ice system indicated a "failure" but he was not concerned because he was in the clouds and the airframe was not accumulating any ice. Shortly thereafter during the descent, the airplane accumulated approximately 6 to 10 millimeters of rime ice. He reported the ice to the air traffic controller who cleared the pilot to a lower altitude. Because of the ice on the airplane, the pilot stated that he maintained a higher than usual airspeed in the pattern and on final approach. While over the threshold, the airplane encountered an abrupt, counter clockwise roll, and he was unable to recover with the altitude remaining. He said the left main landing gear contacted the runway, and collapsed. The airplane turned to the left and came to rest upright on the runway surface. He estimated the wind was from 350 degrees at 10 knots. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the left wing sustained substantial damage. Other than the de-ice system, the pilot reported no additional anomalies with the airplane. The reason for the de-ice system failure was not determined.
Factual narrative
Prior to the flight, the pilot obtained a weather briefing and there were no reports of icing along the intended route of flight. The experimental airplane was equipped with a de-ice system, and during the preflight inspection, the system was operational and continued to be operational during the flight. Prior to entering icing conditions, the de-ice system indicated a "failure" to the pilot; however, he was not concerned because he was in the clouds and the airframe was not accumulating any ice. Shortly thereafter during the descent, the airplane accumulated approximately 6 to 10 millimeters of rime ice. The pilot reported the ice to air traffic control and they cleared him to a lower altitude. Because of the ice on the airplane, the pilot "maintained a higher than usual airspeed in the pattern and on final [approach]." While over the runway 27 (asphalt; 3,549 feet long by 60 feet wide) threshold, the pilot "experienced an abrupt counter-clockwise roll...there was no opportunity for recovery." The left main landing gear contacted the runway and collapsed. The airplane turned to the left and came to rest upright on the runway surface. The pilot estimated the winds were from 350 degrees at 10 knots. Examination of the airplane revealed the left wing sustained substantial damage. Other than the de-ice system, the pilot reported no additional anomalies with the airplane. The reason for the de-ice system failure was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N385AS
- Reported as
- Allen Raymond H Lancair Legacy
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- L2K-202
- Airframe hours
- 465
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-550-N, 380 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bowers Harbor Legacy N385as LLC
- Registered owner
- Bowers Harbor Legacy N385as LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 19, 2010
- Departed
- TVC · Traverse City, MI
- Destination
- VLL · Troy, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- VLL · Oakland/Troy Airport, runway 27, 3,549 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 551 total · 227 in this make and model · 479 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 26, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 325 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.