Lancair LC42-550FG N6506L

Summary

On 31 March 2013 at about 16:50 local time, a Lancair LC42-550FG registered N6506L, operated by Dennis O'Neal, was involved in an accident near Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 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

31 March 2013 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Smith Reynolds (INT)

Coordinates

36.1167, -80.2861

Aircraft

Lancair LC42-550FG

Registration

N6506L

Category

Airplane

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

Dennis O'Neal

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wilkes County → Warren Field

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13FA184

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to detect multiple indications and cues in the cockpit of the steady loss of engine oil pressure, which resulted in a catastrophic engine failure over terrain unsuitable for landing. Also causal was the loss of internal engine lubrication for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examinations due to postcrash fire damage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was in cruise flight about 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl) in instrument meteorological conditions when the pilot declared an emergency and reported a loss of "fuel pressure" and engine power. The air traffic controller vectored the airplane toward the nearest airport, and, during the descent and when the airplane was about 6 miles from the airport, the pilot reported that smoke was in the cockpit and that the engine was "barely" producing power. No further transmissions were received from the pilot. The airplane collided with flat, wooded terrain and was significantly damaged by postcrash fire. Data downloaded from the primary and multifunction cockpit displays indicate that the engine began steadily losing oil pressure during the airplane's initial climb until it leveled off at a cruise altitude of 5,000 feet msl. Data suggest that, at that time, the pilot leaned the fuel mixture for cruise flight. Although the pilot could have detected the decreasing oil pressure at that time, he did not report a loss of fuel pressure and engine power to the air traffic controller until about 6 minutes later. Data also indicate that there were multiple additional indications and cues of a loss of engine oil pressure in the cockpit but that the pilot did not respond to these in a timely manner. The operations manual indicates that the pilot should land as soon as possible if the engine oil pressure drops and then to prepare for a loss of engine power and an emergency landing. The pilot's delayed recognition of the drop in engine oil pressure was likely the result of a breakdown in her instrument scan, specifically, her systems monitoring during the climb and initial cruise phases of flight, during which time, her attention was likely directed at airplane control, power management, and navigation. The reason for the loss of engine oil pressure could not be determined during postaccident examinations due to postcrash fire damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.