MIA94LA004

NTSB accident investigation · Ehlers Lancair 320 · Bay St. Louis, MS · October 10, 1993

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
October 10, 1993, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
Place
Bay St. Louis, MS
Injuries
1 serious
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N320SEEhlers Lancair 320
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 13, 1994
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19931010038459A
Case key
37446

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 pilot-in-command's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in an in flight loss of control (stall/spin) and subsequent in flight collision with trees and terrain.

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.

Loss of control - in flightLanding
Airspeed(vs) - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Stall/spin - inadvertentPilot in command
In flight collision with objectDescent - uncontrolled
Object - tree(s)

Analysis

The private pilot was observed landing on runway 35. The airplane touched down left of center line, bounced, and touched down a second time in a left skid. The airplane became airborne reaching about 60 to 80 feet agl in a nose up attitude estimated at about 70 degrees. The left wing dropped, the airplane rolled left, the nose pitched down, and the airplane collided with trees and terrain.

Factual narrative

On October 10, 1993, at about 1430 central daylight time, a Ehlers, Lancair 320, N320SE, registered to Craig S. Ehlers, crashed on landing at Stennis International Airport, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The fight originated from Stennis International Airport about 5 minutes before the accident.

A witness who observed the accident stated to the NTSB investigator-in-charge that the airplane had made one touch-and- go landing before to the accident. The witness observed the airplane on final approach to runway 35. The airplane touched down left of center line, bounced, and touched down a second time in a left skid. The airplane became airborne reaching about 60 to 80 feet agl in a nose-up attitude estimated at about 70 degrees. The left wing of the airplane was observed to drop, the airplane rolled left, the nose pitched down as if the airplane was in a stall, and the airplane collided with the trees and the terrain.

Examination of the crash site by the FAA revealed no evidence to indicate any precrash mechanical failure or malfunction of the airframe or flight control system. In addition the FAA inspector stated in a written statement to the NTSB investigator-in-charge that, "There seemed to be no indication of a split flap situation or any type of preimpact failure."

Aircraft

Registration
N320SE
Reported as
Ehlers Lancair 320 (LANCAIR 32)
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
620365-320FB
Airframe hours
15
Engine
Lycoming O-320-E2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Ehlers, Craig S.
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · June 16, 1993 · 15 hours before
Departed
3RG
Destination
3RG
Airport
3R6 · Stennis Int Airport, runway 35, 8,500 × 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
34
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
197 total · 11 in this make and model · 157 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
290° at 6 knots
Visibility
7 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
73 °F, dew point 52 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
GPT, 20 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.