- Date
- October 27, 1995, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Somerset, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N960JPPezold Lancair IV-P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951027049679A
- Case key
- 39119
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
failure of the fuel pump driveshaft, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power.
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 airplane was on its maiden flight. The pilot made an approach to runway 24, then initiated a go-around. As he attempted a climb-out, the engine lost power. The pilot then lowered the nose and maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing. However, during the landing, the airplane collided with a power line and trees. An examination of the airplane revealed a failure of the fuel pump driveshaft.
Factual narrative
On October 27, 1995, about 1145 eastern daylight time, a Pezold Lancair IV-P, N960JP, a homebuilt experimental airplane, was destroyed, when it collided with trees, during a forced landing following a go-around at the Somerset County Airport, Somerset, Pennsylvania. The private pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight. There was no flight plan filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, this was the first flight for the airplane. The pilot was conducting an approach to runway 24, a 4697 foot long and 75 foot wide runway. The pilot abandoned the approach and performed a go-around, during which the airplane collided with a power line and trees.
The pilot stated, "Engine spooled down on go-around. Nose lowered to maintain airspeed. Slight turn to pick landing site. Crashed in wooded area.
The FAA Inspector stated:
A continuity check of the aircraft and engine controls revealed no abnormalities. Subsequent inspection of the engine revealed a failure of the fuel pump drive which would explain the reported power loss.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N960JP
- Reported as
- Pezold Lancair IV-P (LANCAIR IV)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 087
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-331-6, 774 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- John A Dramesi
- Registered owner
- Fred H Berkey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 2G9
- Airport
- 2G9 · Somerset County, runway 24, 4,697 × 75 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
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,900 total · 1 in this make and model · 4,900 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 17 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 2G9
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.