# NTSB CEN19TA180: Elmwood Christavia, N222PN, Lancaster, SC, June 22, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Final report - Date: June 22, 2019, 07:10 local (11:10 UTC) - Place: Lancaster, SC - Coordinates: 34.722778, -80.854721 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.7228&lon=-80.8547&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 99697 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN19TA180 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99697/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99697 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19TA180 ## Probable cause The pilot's distraction, which resulted in his failure to maintain adequate altitude and airspeed and a subsequent impact with terrain. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Lawrence W Thomas CHRISTAVIA MK1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md?model=056320F), [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md) - [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Lawrence W Thomas CHRISTAVIA MK1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=056320F), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Lawrence W Thomas CHRISTAVIA MK1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md?model=056320F), [All aircraft, 1,310 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Lawrence W Thomas CHRISTAVIA MK1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=056320F), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md) - [Attention/monitoring: task monitoring/vigilance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Lawrence W Thomas CHRISTAVIA MK1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md?model=056320F), [All aircraft, 330 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md) - [Attention/monitoring: attention](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Lawrence W Thomas CHRISTAVIA MK1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510/cases.md?model=056320F), [All aircraft, 226 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Lawrence W Thomas CHRISTAVIA MK1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=056320F), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) (defining event); cases with it: [Lawrence W Thomas CHRISTAVIA MK1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=056320F), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot said he became distracted and the airplane’s altitude and airspeed decreased too much to land at the airport, so he attempted an off-field landing and impacted terrain. Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. ## Factual narrative On June 22, 2019, about 0710 eastern daylight time, an Elmwood Christavia Mark 1, N222PN, collided with the ground 2,000 yards short of runway 24 at Lancaster County-Mc Whirter Field (LKR), Lancaster, South Carolina. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and the passenger was seriously injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Lancaster County-Mc Whirter Field (LKR). Lancaster, South Carolina, about 0630. The pilot did not complete NTSB Form 6120.1-2, Pilot-Operator Aircraft Accident Report. However, he was interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector after his release from the hospital. According to the inspector, the pilot told him he had been distracted and made the mistake of getting too low and too slow. When he realized he could not make the airport, he made an off-field landing. The inspector reported both landing gears had separated from the aircraft, the left-wing lift strut was bent and broken, the bottom of the aircraft was damaged, and the right side cabin floor board was broken. The wooden propeller was shattered and bore indications that the engine was running at high power at impact with the ground. There were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N222PN](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N222PN), registered now, S/N 614, built 2013 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Elmwood CHRISTAVIA (1) - Registry model: [Lawrence W Thomas CHRISTAVIA MK1](https://openairdocs.org/model/lawrence-w-thomas-christavia-mk1) (registry code 056320F) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental C85-15F](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-15f) (registry code 17132, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 614 - Year built: 2013 - Engines: Continental A-65 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, September 28, 2018 - Departed: LKR, Lancaster, SC - Destination: LKR, Lancaster, SC - Airport: LKR, Lancaster Cnty-Mc Whirter Fld, runway 24, 6,004 × 101 ft, concrete - Equipment: Angle of attack indicator ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 73; injuries: minor; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: sport pilot; last flight review June 29, 2017; seat: front; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 1,300 total, 200 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 8 knots, gusting 20 - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 3,002 °F - Observed at: LKR, 25 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20190622007839A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190622007839A), Jun 22, 2019: Lawrence W Thomas CHRISTAVIA MK1, Lancaster, SC, Substantial damage. Pilot stated that he just installed a lift indicator and was performing takeoff and landings to ensure proper calibration of the lift indicator. Pilot stated… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 6, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99697. 823 KB in all. - E-Mail from FAA Inspector (item 1, .PDF, 83 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40475598&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=E-Mail%20from%20FAA%20Inspector-Master.PDF - Report Photos (item 2, .PDF, 740 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40475599&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Report%20Photos-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.