Lancair IV N994PT

Summary

On 25 December 2021 at about 14:25 local time, a Lancair IV registered N994PT was involved in an accident near Iron Mountain, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 December 2021 at 14:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Iron Mountain, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Ford Airport (IMT)

Coordinates

45.8455, -88.1132

Aircraft

Lancair IV

Registration

N994PT

Category

Airplane

Year built

2016

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Daytona Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA089

2 people had minor injuries.

The total loss of engine power after takeoff for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he took off at a reduced winter takeoff power setting. Once airborne and established on a climb, he retracted the landing gear and flaps, added climb power in increments, and then noticed a failure displayed on the generator control unit annunciator. About the same time, the pilot noticed the engine was quieter and the airspeed was decreasing. Onboard data indicated that, upon reaching 650 ft above ground level, about 50 seconds after the takeoff roll was initiated, the engine power reduced to idle with a simultaneous decrease in fuel flow. Several seconds later, a generator control unit failure warning illuminated, and the voltage began to slowly decrease, consistent with the generator turning off. The airplane continued to descend straight ahead and impacted trees and terrain about one nautical mile from the departure end of the runway. Both wings, the empennage, and the engine separated from the fuselage. Following the accident, the condition lever was in an aft position. The pilot stated that, due to the altitude at the time he identified the loss of engine power, he did not take any actions to feather the propeller or restart the engine. A postaccident examination of the engine and related systems revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded engine data is consistent with a reduction in commanded engine power and ultimately an in-flight shutdown. While it is possible that the condition lever came back with the flap activation and was not noted by the pilot, investigators were not able to determine when or how the condition lever was moved aft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.