Lancair LEGACY N10LG

Summary

On 6 October 2019 at about 13:49 local time, a Lancair LEGACY registered N10LG was involved in an accident near Bixby, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 October 2019 at 13:49

Classification

Accident

Location

Bixby, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

37.3614, -91.0669

Aircraft

Lancair LEGACY

Registration

N10LG

Category

Airplane

Year built

2018

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Creve Coeur → Spicewood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20FA003

1 person died.

The pilot's continued visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight into marginal VFR weather conditions, and likely encountered instrument flight rules (IMC) conditions shortly thereafter. Radar data indicated that the airplane was flying south-southwest between 2,300 ft mean sea level (msl) and 2,800 ft msl, then entered a descent to about 1,525 ft msl before initiating a climbing, 270° left turn. Witnesses near the accident site reported a thick, low cloud cover and estimated that the airplane was flying within a few hundred feet of the ground. Radar contact with the airplane was lost at a groundspeed of 42 kts and altitude of 1,975 ft msl about 24 minutes after departure. Examination revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal airplane and engine operation. Although the pilot was instrument rated and the airplane was equipped for instrument flight, there was no evidence in the pilot's logbook to indicate that he was instrument current or proficient. There was no record of the pilot receiving preflight weather information from an official source. It is likely the pilot’s lack of instrument currency and proficiency with his VFR flight into IMC conditions resulted in disorientation. The radar track data, sound witness reports, and wreckage distribution is are consistent with a loss of control and the restricted visibility conditions were conducive to the development of spatial disorientation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.