Livpt LANCAIR IV-P N119TC

Summary

On 2 May 2007 at about 23:58 local time, a Livpt LANCAIR IV-P registered N119TC was involved in an accident near McAllen, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 May 2007 at 23:58

Classification

Accident

Location

McAllen, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

McAllen Miller International (MFE)

Coordinates

26.1722, -98.2364

Aircraft

Livpt LANCAIR IV-P

Registration

N119TC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McAllen → Tampico

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW07LA103

2 people died.

A loss of power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to departure, the commercial pilot experienced a hot start while attempting to start the 750-horsepower turbo-prop engine. The pilot received assistance from an airframe and powerplant mechanic. The mechanic reviewed the handwritten checklist the pilot used to start the engine and informed him that the procedures were out of sequence, which was most likely the cause of the hot start. The pilot then motored the engine and allowed the starter to cool for approximately two minutes before he attempted to start the engine. The engine started, sounded "normal" and ran "stable" for approximately 30-45 seconds. The pilot then shut down the engine, and no smoke or engine surging was observed. The pilot dismounted the airplane and walked inside the terminal building with the female passenger. The mechanic then informed the pilot that he should let the starter cool down for at least 30 minutes to 1-hour. About an hour later, the pilot started the engine, and departed. About a minute after takeoff, the pilot announced that he had an "engine out" and he attempted to perform a forced landing on a road south of the airport. Witnesses said the airplane was "wobbling in the air from side to side and having trouble flying straight." It then made a sudden "right down wind turn" and descended "suddenly as if it had to land." The airplane landed on the southbound lanes of the road and collided with the pavement, the center concrete guardrail, and a metal guardrail before catching on fire. Examination of the airplane revealed that a major portion of the airplane's structure was consumed by fire and the position of the fuel selector valve could not be determined. Examination of the experimental engine revealed it had sustained extensive thermal damage; however, no mechanical deficiencies were noted with the engine that could have prevented normal flight operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.