Lancair 320 N320L
8 August 1996 · Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 8 August 1996 at about 14:02 local time, a Lancair 320 registered N320L was involved in an accident near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:02
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.7699, -88.4399
- Aircraft
- Lancair 320
- Registration
- N320L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Oshkosh → Aurora
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI96FA278
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the fatigue in the propeller flange with soft material and oversized lightening holes. A factor was the pilot's inability to maintain control of the aircraft due to the exceeded weight and balance which led to a stall/spin.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane experienced an inflight loss of its propeller assembly. A witness observed the airplane spiraling downward similar to that of a flat spin with smoke coming from it. Examination of the fractured propeller mounting flange revealed a separation of the propeller mounting flange from the remainder of the crankshaft which was the result of fatigue cracking that initiated between the lightening holes in the flange. There is an Airworthiness Directive and Service Bulletin that specifically addressed the subject engine when it is installed on the Piper PA-30 airplane. These inspection requirements arose because of cracking problems generated by bending of the mounting flange under certain aerobatic-type maneuvers, primarily maneuvers that add stresses from gyroscopic action. The weight and balance after the loss of the propeller was 1,531 pounds at 70.09 inches aft. The center of gravity envelope for the N320L is between 60.75 to 66.75 inches aft.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Lancair 320 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 1997 | Lancair 320 | Dillon, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 Jun 1993 | Lancair 320 | Chino, California, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 5 May 1991 | Lancair 320 | Fall River Mill, California, United States | Hardin, M.c. | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 2002 | Lancair 320 | Iola, Kansas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2004 | Lancair 320 | Houston, Texas, United States | Matthew R Koontz | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 2010 | Lancair 320 | Spokane, Washington, United States | Larry O. Sundholm | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 1996 | Beechcraft 23 | Wilmot, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Aug 1996 | Aero Commander 600 | Rhinelander, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Sep 1996 | Beechcraft 23 | Tomahawk, Wisconsin, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 Aug 1996 | Cessna 525 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 1996 | Piper PA-31 | Janesville, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 1996 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Wausau, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |