Lancair LEGACY FG N550NL

Summary

On 22 April 2024 at about 23:26 local time, a Lancair LEGACY FG registered N550NL was involved in an accident near Spicewood, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 April 2024 at 23:26

Classification

Accident

Location

Spicewood, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Spicewood Airport (88R)

Coordinates

30.4731, -98.1203

Aircraft

Lancair LEGACY FG

Registration

N550NL

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

Uvalde → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24FA164

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to properly configure the airplane during a go-around in gusting wind conditions, and his subsequent exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported that, during the pilot’s initial approach for landing on runway 17, the experimental airplane was fast, encountered a wind gust, and ballooned, prompting the pilot to initiate a go-around. During the subsequent approach, one witness observed the nose landing gear nearly contact the runway. The pilot again initiated a go-around, during which the airplane entered a steep, left-turning climb before descending nose-down into terrain. A postimpact fire consumed most of the airplane. The recorded wind conditions at a nearby airport about 10 minutes after the accident were from 170° at 6 knots (kts) with gusts to 15 kts. An observation recorded about 10 minutes before the accident included wind from 180°, variable between 140° and 220°, at 6 kts with gusts to 14 kts. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The engine displayed internal continuity and signs of producing power at impact, and propeller damage was also consistent with power being produced at the time of impact. The flap actuator position corresponded to full flap extension (40°); however, the airplane’s go-around procedure specified reducing the flap extension to 20° after applying power and establishing the climb. Toxicology testing detected the over-the-counter antihistamine cetirizine at levels unlikely to have caused significant impairment. Autopsy findings identified significant coronary artery disease that put the pilot at an increased risk of a sudden impairing or incapacitating cardiac event, including angina, arrhythmia, or heart attack. There is no autopsy evidence that such an event occurred; however, such an event does not leave reliable autopsy evidence if it occurs immediately before death. No evidence of an acute medical event was identified. Given the position of the flap actuator as found at the accident site, it is likely that the pilot failed to retract the flaps during the go-around as prescribed by the pilot’s operating handbook, which likely significantly reduced the climb performance of the airplane. It is also likely that the pilot subsequently exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the attempted go-around with the flaps fully extended, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at an altitude that was too low for recovery.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.