History of Flight
On May 18, 2011, at approximately 1545 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Lancair Legacy, registration N121J, collided with a snow-covered mountain under unknown circumstances near Pioneer, California. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, which departed Minden, Nevada, at an undetermined time. No flight plan had been filed. The intended destination was Tracy, California.
When the pilot did not arrive, the family initiated a family concerned alert notification. The Amador County Sheriff's Department commenced a search near Bear River Reservoir. The wreckage was located at 1545 on May 20, 2011.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 78, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane, issued on January 8, 2009. He held a third-class medical certificate dated August 18, 2010, with the limitation that corrective lenses must be worn. No personal flight records were found. According to FAA medical records, the pilot reported 6,020 total flight hours, with 30 hours in the previous six months.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, low-wing, retractable landing gear airplane, serial number L2K-232, received a special airworthiness experimental amateur-built certificate on May 1, 2004. A logbook entry indicated an annual condition inspection on December 2, 2010, showing 354.6 total airframe hours. The last entry, dated May 18, 2011, recorded replacement of the EI fuel flow transducer with a Floscan model 201. An engine ground run was performed, and operation and leak checks were satisfactory.
The Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-N13B engine, serial number 687922, was originally installed on October 31, 2005; engine total time was 130 hours. A subsequent entry changed the engine designation to CMI IO-550-EXPERIMENTAL due to an oil cooler addition. A 100-hour/annual condition inspection was recorded on December 2, 2010.
Originally equipped with a Hartzell propeller, on December 21, 2006, a new MTV-9-D/183-50A propeller was installed. That propeller was overhauled on July 29, 2010.
Meteorological Information
No record of a weather briefing was found. Icing forecasts indicated a small area of significant icing probability at 9,000 feet. Satellite imagery showed cloudy skies over the accident site. AIRMETs for mountain obscuration and turbulence were active. The Lake Tahoe terminal forecast included light rain, hail, thunderstorms, and broken ceilings. An area forecast for the Sierra Nevada predicted broken clouds, isolated rain showers, and thunderstorms.
Communications and Radar
The aircraft was not in communication with air traffic control and was not actively tracked. Primary radar showed a target up to 26 miles east-southeast of Hangtown VOR near Placerville, California. No flight track leading to the accident site was recorded on radar.
Wreckage and Impact
The accident site was in a remote area of Amador County at 6,500 feet elevation, buried in about 10 feet of snow. The debris field extended 300 yards along a southeast heading. Several trees were damaged as the aircraft passed through them before ground impact.
Medical and Pathological
A toxicology examination was not performed due to insufficient body fluid. No vital organs were intact to assess potential health issues. The pilot was identified by fingerprints. The cause of death was traumatic injuries to the head, chest, and abdomen from the aircraft collision.
Tests and Research
Inspection of the airframe and engine revealed no obvious pre-impact malfunctions. The airframe sustained impact damage throughout. Flight control surfaces were accounted for. The engine had separated from the airframe with extensive damage. Cylinders 2, 4, and 6 separated from the crankcase; the number 6 cylinder was in several pieces. No thermal discoloration was noted on main bearing journals. The camshaft had separated forward of the number 4 cam lobe. The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft. Spark plugs had a worn-out-normal appearance. Both magnetos had separated; the right magneto produced spark when rotated. No anomalies were found in the fuel or lubrication systems. The vacuum pump was not located.
A Garmin GPSMAP 496 was recovered. It had impact damage, and internal inspection showed damage. The non-volatile memory was read, but the accident flight was not recorded. The tracklog showed recurrent flights between Minden and California cities including Tracy, Clearlake, and Pope Valley.