LAX06LA166

NTSB accident investigation · McKenzie Lancair IV-P Turbine · San Diego, CA · May 8, 2006

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
May 8, 2006, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
Place
San Diego, CA
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N5MMcKenzie Lancair IV-P Turbine
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report July 25, 2007
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20060508007809A
Case key
63654

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The collapse of the left main gear for undetermined reasons. A factor was the pilot's inadequate remedial action in response to the left main gear not locked warning light by not attempting to manually extend the gear to ensure it was fully down and locked.

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.

Gear collapsedLanding - flare/touchdown
Landing gear,main gear - collapsedCause
Remedial action - inadequatePilot in commandFactor
Gear down and locked - not attainedPilot in commandFactor

Analysis

The airplane veered off the runway after the left main gear collapsed on landing. The pilot was cleared to land on runway 28L. He lowered the landing gear in preparation for landing, and received an indication of three green lights confirming that the gear was down and locked. At this point, an electrical power failure occurred, and he initiated a go-around. He turned the emergency battery on, and this restored power to the radio and several critical systems. The gear lights indicated that only the nose and right main were now down and locked. He asked the tower controller to confirm the gear position. The tower said it appeared to be down, and cleared the pilot to land on runway 28R. Upon touchdown, the left main gear collapsed. The pilot stated that he should have tried to pump the gear in an attempt to get it in the locked position. No determination was made regarding the reason for the collapse of the left main landing gear.

Factual narrative

On May 8, 2006, about 1230 Pacific daylight time, a McKenzie Lancair experimental IV-P Turbine, N5M, veered off the runway after the left main gear collapsed on landing at Montgomery Field, San Diego, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight departed Phoenix Deer Valley, Phoenix, Arizona, about 1130, with a planned destination of Montgomery Field. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot submitted a written report. He was cleared to land on runway 28L at Montgomery Field. He lowered the landing gear in preparation for landing, and received an indication of three green lights confirming that the gear was down and locked. At this point, an electrical power failure occurred, and he initiated a go-around. He turned the emergency battery on, and this restored power to the radio. The gear lights indicated that only two were down and locked. He asked the tower controller to confirm the gear position. The tower said it appeared to be down, and cleared the pilot to land on runway 28R. Upon touchdown the left main gear collapsed. The pilot stated that he should have tried to pump the gear in an attempt to get it in the locked position.

Aircraft

Registration
N5M
Reported as
McKenzie Lancair IV-P Turbine
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
LIV-490
Airframe hours
270
Engine
Walter, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
William A. Stern
Registered owner
William A. Stern
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · May 1, 2005
Departed
KDVT · Phoenix, AZ
Destination
KMYF · San Diego, CA
Airport
KMYF · Montgomery Field, runway 28R, 4,577 × 150 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
58
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,700 total · 125 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
240° at 7 knots
Visibility
7 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
68 °F, dew point 55 °F
Altimeter
29.94 inHg
Observed at
MYF

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Other investigations on N5M · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.