LAX04LA213

The experimental amateur-built pressurized airplane departed cruise flight and entered a steep spiraling descent before impacting the south rim of the Grand Canyon. The wreckage was largely consumed in a post impact ground fire. The pilot was taking his family and friends on a scenic flight over the Grand Canyon. Review of the radar data and air traffic control communications revealed that the airplane flew east over the canyon at 15,500 feet before reversing direction and flying westbound around 16,500 feet. The last four radar returns depict the airplane descending through 16,200, 13,800, 11,300, and 9,100 feet respectively with 12-second separation between returns. Air traffic controllers received no distress calls from the pilot. Post-accident examination of the wreckage could not verify the existence of all flight control surfaces or their continuity due to impact and fire damage, nor could it rule out an airframe failure or any control anomalies. Review of the airplane records and correspondence between the pilot/owner revealed a history of maintenance issues.

History of flight

On May 15, 2004, at 1704 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built Bachman Lancair IV-P, N299SD, impacted terrain in the Grand Canyon near Supai, Arizona. A private individual built the airplane, and it was registered to and operated by the pilot. The private pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed the North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), North Las Vegas, Nevada, at 1607.

According to relatives of the victims, the pilot and his family were in Las Vegas because the pilot's son was getting married on the 16th. The pilot's plan was to take his son, his son's fiancé, and the fiancé's best friend for a tour flight over the Grand Canyon the day before his son's wedding.

Communication transcripts obtained from North Las Vegas Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) revealed that the pilot requested a visual flight rules (VFR) clearance to the Grand Canyon. The pilot was given a clearance and departed for the Grand Canyon at 1607. The United States Air Force 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron (RADES) radar data depicted a target tracking westbound over the Grand Canyon between 15,500 and 16,000 feet mean sea level (msl) mode C reported altitudes. At 1653, the radar data depicts the target beginning a climb to 16,500 feet and reversing course. The target then began moving eastbound over the canyon between 16,500 and 16,800 feet.

At 1657:21, the pilot contacted the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center and requested VFR flight following back to North Las Vegas. They instructed the pilot to squawk 1044 on his transponder. At 1658:52, they established radar contact 40 miles northeast of the Peach Springs very high omni-directional radio range navigation facility. The controller asked the pilot to say his altitude, to which the pilot answered 16,500 feet. The controller provided the Grand Canyon altimeter setting of 30.03 inches of mercury, which the pilot repeated at 1659:07. This was the last communication received from the pilot. The last eight mode C returns that provided altitude information indicated the following:

Time Latitude Longitude Altitude Transponder

08.) 1702:16 36:10:42 N 113:00:49 w 16,400 1044

07.) 1702:27 36:10:45 N 113:01:28 w 16,200 1044

06.) 1702:28 36:10:40 N 113:01:34 w 16,100 1044

05.) 1702:37 36:10:48 N 113:02:17 w 16,000 1044

04.) 1702:40 36:10:43 N 113:02:31 w 16,200 1044

03.) 1702:52 36:10:50 N 113:02:55 w 13,800 1044

02.) 1703:04 36:10:52 N 113:02:32 w 11,300 1044

01.) 1703:16 36:10:59 N 113:02:50 w 9,100 1044

Witnesses located within the Grand Canyon National Park told park rangers that they observed the airplane descending at a nose-low pitch attitude, and "spinning or moving in some strange way" before impacting terrain and catching fire. According to one witness, he heard the engine "gear up then slow down repeatedly." Another witness reported hearing the "engine revving at a high rate of speed." Photographs taken just moments following ground impact by one of the witnesses located on the north rim revealed that it exploded upon impact producing a mushroom cloud of smoke.

The accident site was on the south rim of the Grand Canyon at a latitude and longitude of 36 degrees 11 minutes 05 seconds north by 113 degrees 02 minutes 38 seconds west, respectively.

Personnel information

A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records revealed that the pilot held a private pilot certificate with single engine land and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued his most recent medical certificate (third-class) on January 12, 2004, with a limitation indicating that he must "wear lenses that correct for distant vision and posses glasses that correct for near vision while exercising the privileges of his airman's certificate." According to the application for the 2004 medical certificate, the pilot accumulated a total of 1,900 flight hours, 20 of which were accumulated within the past 6 months. A copy of the pilot's logbook was provided to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC); however, the last entry was dated November 7, 1991. The last flight review endorsement found in the logbook was from 1990.

Aircraft information

The pressurized airplane kit (serial number LIV-370) was sold to the builder on December 7, 1998, and was issued an experimental airworthiness certificate on January 1, 2000, by a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR). The amateur-built airplane completed its required 40 hours of flight testing, intended to establish operating limitations, on March 18, 2000 (the airplanes's operating limitations issued during certification indicated that no person may operate an aircraft that has an experimental certificate outside of an area assigned by the Administrator until it is shown that-- (1) The aircraft is controllable throughout its normal range of speeds and throughout all the maneuvers to be executed; and (2) The aircraft has no hazardous operating characteristics or design features).

The airplane was equipped with a 350-horsepower Teledyne Continental Motors TSIO-550-E1B reciprocating engine (serial number 803059), and a composite Whirlwind three-blade propeller. Lancair sold the airplane as a kit (not a fast-build), and the airplane was mostly carbon fiber and fiberglass. According to the airframe maintenance logbook, the airplane was equipped with a Garmin GNC300XL global positioning system, an S-Tec autopilot, a Goodrich stormscope, distance measuring equipment, a Ryan terrain collision avoidance system, a Trimble radio altimeter, and a King KX-165 navigation/communication system.

The following information was obtained from the airplane's maintenance logbooks, correspondence between the pilot/owner and repair facilities, and repair invoices.

The airplane was sold to the pilot in June 2001, and registered to him on October 15, 2001. Prior to the purchase of the airplane, the pilot had Weeldreyer Aviation of Manhattan Beach, California, conduct an aircraft insurance inspection on June 8, 2001. Weeldreyer Aviation utilized their own inspection form for the Lancair IV, and noted some discrepancies on the checklist. On June 15, 2001, the pilot signed an agreement with Weeldreyer Aviation agreeing that they would "perform an inspection and flight testing for the assembled airplane and give flight instruction in the assembled airplane as needed."

In a letter dated July 20, 2001, the pilot/owner indicated that the "items that needed attention" during the June 8, 2001, inspection "have been repaired or are in the process of being repaired." The letter continued by indicating that the pilot had flown the airplane and intended on flying it again on July 21 and 22, 2001, for the purpose of identifying "any other problems which might exist." He added that there was a "problem with maintaining pressurization as the door latch disengaged."

In a letter dated July 26, 2001, the pilot/owner indicated again that the cabin door continued to have problems, and the airplane was unable to maintain pressurization. The pilot then listed additional maintenance squawks that needed attention, some of which are listed below:

- Landing gear did not seem to properly retract.

- Speed brakes did not completely retract on several occasions.

- Vacuum pump suction pressure gage never registered in the "green" range.

- Right flap had insufficient clearance on one of the connecting rods.

- The left elevator's trim tab piano hinge wire was sliding out.

- Fuel line on passenger side in cockpit needed more clearance.

- Windshield on left side appeared to be scratched or cracked.

- Attitude indicator seemed to not be functioning properly, but was "more operational" with the autopilot on.

Sometime following the aforementioned let