- Date
- November 20, 2004, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Las Cruces, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N41MFFarrell Lancair LC3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- ABQ Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20041120029229A
- Case key
- 60604
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 directional control during takeoff.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that during rotation the airplane "turned right." He attempted to correct but the airplane continued off the runway to the right and impacted terrain.
Factual narrative
On November 20, 2004, approximately 1130 mountain standard time, a Farrell Lancair LC3, N41MF, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during takeoff roll from Las Cruces International Airport (LRU), Las Cruces, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger reported no injuries. The cross-country flight, en route to Alamogordo, New Mexico, was originating at the time of the accident.
According to the pilot's accident report, as the aircraft was rotated for takeoff on runway 26, it "turned right." The pilot attempted to correct, but the airplane continued off the runway to the right. The nose and left main landing gear separated and the left main wing spar was bent aft. An examination of the airplane's systems, conducted by the FAA, revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41MF
- Reported as
- Farrell Lancair LC3
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 271
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-G, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2004 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- LRU · Las Cruces, NM
- Destination
- ALM · Alamogordo, NM
- Airport
- LRU · Las Cruces International, runway 26, 6,069 × 100 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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 27, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,629 total · 225 in this make and model · 25 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- LRU, 1 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.