# NTSB CEN20LA266: Lancair ES-P, N444TW, Pauls Valley, OK, July 6, 2020

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: July 6, 2020, 12:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place: Pauls Valley, OK
- Coordinates: 34.749168, -97.26889
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.7492&lon=-97.2689&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Unknown: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 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): 101549
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20LA266
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101549/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101549
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA266

## Probable cause

The reason for this accident could not be determined based on the available information.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Faist Rr/Faist ML LANCAIR ES-P, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=0562749), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240); cases with it: [Faist Rr/Faist ML LANCAIR ES-P, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=0562749), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)
- [Maneuvering: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Faist Rr/Faist ML LANCAIR ES-P, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=0562749), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)
- [Unknown: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Faist Rr/Faist ML LANCAIR ES-P, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=0562749), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot departed on a local flight. According to radar data, the airplane headed south and climbed to 4,500 ft mean sea level (msl). After about 20 minutes, the airplane turned back to the north and began a 500 ft per minute descent. The airplane turned to the east and then to the southeast. The last radar return showed the airplane at 1,700 ft msl (about 700 ft above ground level), on a heading of 143°, and flying at 96 knots. The airplane continued to descend and turn and collided with a corn field on a heading of 45°. The pilot had no recollection of the accident. Impact and fire damage precluded a functional examination of the airframe and flight controls. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no anomalies. Investigators were unable to determine the cause of the accident with the available information.

## Factual narrative

On July 6, 2020, about 1205 central daylight time, a Lancair ES-P, N444TW, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot's accident report, he planned for a flight departing Norman, Oklahoma, proceeding south to Ardmore, Oklahoma, and then returning to Norman. The pilot said that he does not recall the events from about 1 hour before the flight to about 4 hours after the accident. Radar data indicated that the flight departed University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport in Norman about 1138 and headed south. The airplane climbed to 4,500 ft mean sea level (msl), then turned back to the north at 1158. It began a 500-ft-per-minute descent and turned to the east, then to the southeast. The last radar return was at 1205 when the airplane was at 1,700 ft msl (about 700 ft above ground level), on a heading of 143°, and flying at 96 knots. The airplane impacted a corn field about 3.5 miles north of Pauls Valley Municipal Airport. Photo documentation indicated the airplane traveled 200 ft through a corn field on a heading of 45° and came to rest inverted. The right wing separated from the fuselage. The left wing remained attached to the fuselage at the root, and the outer portion of the wing separated. The cowl, engine, empennage, and nose landing gear separated from the airplane. There was fire damage to the cabin and right wing. All the composite propeller blades separated from the hub, and there was crush damage to the spinner. Impact and fire damage precluded a functional examination of the airframe and flight controls. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no anomalies.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N444TW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N444TW-2021-03-11), registration cancelled 2021-03-11, S/N ESP-195-5, built 2013 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Lancair ES-P
- Registry model: [Faist Rr/Faist ML LANCAIR ES-P](https://openairdocs.org/model/faist-rr-faist-ml-lancair-es-p) (registry code 0562749) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-550-E](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-550-e) (registry code 17247, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: ESP-195-5
- Year built: 2013
- Airframe hours: 283.6
- Engines: Continental TSIO-550-E18B 350 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, September 23, 2019, 2 hours before
- Departed: OUN, Norman, OK
- Destination: OUN, Norman, OK
- Equipment: Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 54; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 10, 2020; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,974 total, 261 in this make and model, 1,974 as pilot in command, 7 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 80° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observed at: PVJ, 3 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 20200706015959A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200706015959A), Jul 6, 2020: Faist Rr/Faist Ml LANCAIR ES-P, Pauls Valley, OK, Destroyed. N444TW departing normal flight was destroyed in a cornfield approximately 3.5 miles north of Pauls Valley Airport.

## Docket (8 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 2, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101549. 39.0 MB in all.

- NTSB form 6120.1-2, pilot-operator aircraft accident-incident report (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9938896&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Form%206120.1-2,%20Pilot-Operator%20Aircraft%20Accident-Incident%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Opsview display from ADS-B data (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 417 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13780645&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=OpsView%20Display%20from%20ADS-B-Rel.pdf
- ADS-B csv file (item 3, CSV, 2.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13776978&FileExtension=csv&FileName=20200706_A55B37_430117764_ADSB-Rel.csv
- Wreckage distribution (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 25.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10036279&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=%5B3a%5DWreckage%20Distribution_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- FAA theodolite photos (item 5, PDF, 4 pages, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11341988&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%203-Rel.pdf
- Aero valley's engine examination report (item 6, PDF, 13 pages, 4.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11335079&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=%5B4%5DAero%20Valley%27s%20Engine%20Examination%20Report-Rel.pdf
- Oil analysis report (item 7, PDF, 2 pages, 173 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11334877&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=%5B5%5DOil%20Analysis%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Accident report photographs (item 8, PDF, 10 pages, 2.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10036330&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=%5B5%5DAccident%20Report%20Photographs-Rel.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.

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