Lancair LC42-550FG N141PB
20 June 2024 · Humboldt Bay, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 June 2024 at about 17:31 local time, a Lancair LC42-550FG registered N141PB was involved in an accident near Humboldt Bay, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:31
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Humboldt Bay, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.6952, -124.2117
- Aircraft
- Lancair LC42-550FG
- Registration
- N141PB
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2005
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Eureka → Napa
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR24LA210
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Maintenance personnel’s incorrect installation of an engine rocker cover gasket, which resulted in oil exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power during the initial climb.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Shortly after takeoff, the engine lost most of its oil, resulting in a partial engine seizure and a total loss of engine power. During a forced landing to a soft field, the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that a rocker cover gasket was misaligned before the accident. The gasket was unable to maintain an adequate seal and opened during the accident flight. Oil was then ejected out of the gap between the rocker cover and cylinder head, which resulted in oil exhaustion. Maintenance that was performed about 20 flight hours before the accident flight would have included installing the gasket. Maintenance instructions required a series of specific steps to install the gasket; based on the condition of the gasket after the accident, the instructions were likely not followed properly.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Lancair LC42 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jun 2024 | Lancair LC42-550FG | Beaufort, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Mar 2013 | Lancair LC42-550FG | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States | Dennis O'Neal | Fatal | 2 |
| 16 Sep 2012 | Lancair LC42-550FG | Okeechobee, Florida, United States | Global Governments Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 2009 | Lancair LC42-550FG | Ocean City, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Feb 2004 | Lancair LC42-550FG | Redmond, Oregon, United States | Lancair Company | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 2024 | Airbus Helicopters EC 130 | Halloran Springs, California, United States | Orbic Air LLC | Fatal | 6 |
| 25 May 2024 | Boeing 737-8 | Oakland, California, United States | Southwest Airlines Co | No injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 2024 | Cessna 152 | Amboy, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 2024 | Evektor-Aerotechnik A S HARMONY LSA | Santa Ana, California, United States | Sunrise Aviation Company | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2024 | Grumman/Schweizer G-164D | Richvale, California, United States | Avag Inc | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 2024 | Boeing B75N1/N2S-3 | Hollister, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |