# NTSB CEN25FA296: Helms Richard Lancair IVP, N49BX, Greenwood, IN, July 30, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report
- Date: July 30, 2025, 10:46 local (14:46 UTC)
- Place: Greenwood, IN
- Coordinates: 39.61789, -86.077085 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6179&lon=-86.0771&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA - Indianapolis FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200665
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25FA296
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200665/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25FA296

## Preliminary report

On July 30, 2025, at 1046 eastern daylight time, a Lancair IVP airplane, N49BX, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Greenwood, Indiana. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. ADS-B data was not available from the FAA as FAA ADS-B data relies on data received by official FAA receivers, and no data was found for the accident flight. However, preliminary ADS-B data from a commercial service that utilizes private receiver data was obtained which depicted the accident flight. The airplane was also equipped with a Garmin G900X avionics suite which had data recording capability that captured the accident flight. The data recorded by the Garmin system ended about 13 seconds before the ADS-B data. The Garmin and ADS-B data showed that the airplane departed from runway 19 at the Indy South Greenwood Airport (HFY), Greenwood, Indiana, at 1045. After takeoff, the airplane began a climbing left turn. The turn continued for about 30 seconds when the turn radius decreased while continuing to the left. The data then showed a rapid descent to the right. The total duration of the flight from the beginning of the takeoff roll was about 1 minute 30 seconds. Figure 1. A 3-dimensional depiction of recorded data. The red/gray path depicts data from a commercial ADS-B source. The yellow/green path depicts recorded data from the Garmin avionics. The Garmin avionics also recorded engine parameters. The final portion of the data showed that the engine was at 38 inches of manifold pressure, 2,650 rpm, and a fuel flow of about 44.5 gallons per hour. All engine readings were steady from power application during the takeoff until the end of the recorded data.

## Sequence of events

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

- [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Helms Richard LANCAIR IVP, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05623G0), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N49BX](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N49BX-2025-12-15), registration cancelled 2025-12-15, S/N LIV-465, built 2005 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HELMS RICHARD LANCAIR IVP
- Registry model: [Helms Richard LANCAIR IVP](https://openairdocs.org/model/helms-richard-lancair-ivp) (registry code 05623G0) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-550 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-550-series) (registry code 17043, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: LIV-465
- Year built: 2005
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Destination: UKT, Quakertown, PA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Airport: HFY, Indy South Greenwood, runway 19, 5,102 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observed at: KIND, 11 nm away
- METAR: KIND 301454Z 00000KT 10SM FEW030 SCT250 30/23 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP182 T03000228 53006

## 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 20250730011049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250730011049A), Jul 30, 2025: Helms Richard LANCAIR IVP, Greenwood, IN, Destroyed, 1 fatal. On July 30, 2025 at 10:44:55 eastern daylight time the subject aircraft departed runway 19 at the Indy South Greenwood Airport. The aircraft is observed…

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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