- Date
- December 17, 1992, 17:35 local (Dec 18, 1992, 00:35 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N777CJLydick LONG-EZ
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921217050819A
- Case key
- 27886
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 an airspeed or power setting sufficient to maintain engine rotation during the low speed demonstration. A factor in the accident was the insufficient altitude to affect an engine restart once the propeller stopped turning.
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 experimental homebuilt aircraft was being demonstrated by the pilot to a potential buyer, who was a passenger in the rear tandem seat. The engine did not have an electric starter installed on the engine. According to the passenger, the pilot was demonstrating the low speed handling characteristics of the aircraft at an altitude he estimated at about 3,000 feet AGL. The pilot brought the throttle to idle, and, as the aircraft slowed, the engine ceased to run and the propeller stopped turning. The pilot was unable to affect an airstart of the engine and the aircraft collided with the ground while the pilot was attempting a forced landing on a road. Detailed examination of the engine revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure. The emergency procedures section of the aircraft owners manual states that an airspeed of 70 knots or more is required to maintain engine rotation at idle. The manual further states that the engine stops turning, a dive speed of 130 knots or more is required to regain engine rotation with an altitude loss of greater than 2,000 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N777CJ
- Reported as
- Lydick LONG-EZ
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1114
- Airframe hours
- 588
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 118 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert E. Anderson
- Registered owner
- Robert E. Anderson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 21, 1992 · 28 hours before
- Destination
- RYN
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 14,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RYN, 6 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.