History of Flight
On December 29, 2012, at about 1015 Pacific standard time, a McKenzie Lancair IV-P Turbine amateur-built experimental airplane, N5M, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in an uncontrolled descent near Lakeside, California. The private pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. Operating under 14 CFR Part 91, the personal cross-country flight originated from Montgomery Field Airport, San Diego, California, about 6 minutes before the accident, with an intended destination of Deer Valley Airport, Phoenix, Arizona. No flight plan was filed.
The pilot contacted Montgomery Field tower at 1005:26, requesting taxi and an east-bound departure. After being cleared for takeoff at 1008:56, the airplane was instructed to make a right downwind (east) departure. However, it flew north toward Class B airspace. The tower controller queried the pilot, who replied he was turning eastbound, but the airplane continued north, entering Class B airspace without clearance before turning east.
At 1012:08, the pilot checked in with the next controller, stating he was eastbound and trying to climb above clouds but could not find a hole. He requested flight following to Deer Valley. The controller assigned a transponder code of 5217, instructed a heading of 060 degrees, and cleared him to climb VFR at his discretion.
At 1014:53, the controller instructed the pilot to reset his transponder to 1321. The pilot did not respond. At 1015:22, the controller asked if the pilot could hear his transmissions; at 1015:26, the pilot responded with "trouble…". Repeated attempts to contact the pilot were unsuccessful. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane below a cloud layer descending in a "flat spin" until it disappeared behind a hill, followed by a "loud thud".
Personnel Information
The 65-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane multiengine land and airplane single engine land ratings, but no instrument rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued May 5, 2011. He reported about 1,600 hours of flight experience and about 50 hours in the past 6 months.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a single-turbine-engine, propeller-driven, four-seat, pressurized, retractable-gear experimental aircraft, with a special airworthiness certificate issued March 13, 2003. It was built from a Lancair kit and powered by a Walters M601-EX free turbine engine (740 hp takeoff, 657 hp continuous) with a three-bladed Hartzell constant-speed full-feathering propeller. The most recent condition inspection was completed November 10, 2011. Builder flight test data (June 1, 2003) at 3,300 lbs gross weight indicated stall speeds: Vso 65 knots, Vs 80 knots; Vx 120 knots; Vy 140 knots. A weight and balance document from June 1, 2005, listed maximum takeoff gross weight 3,890 lbs, empty weight 2,492 lbs, and CG range 86.5 to 94.5 inches. An accident weight estimate calculated 3,751 lbs gross weight and CG 92.4 inches. The cockpit included two Sierra Flight Systems Integrated Display Units (EFIS). The pilot purchased the airplane on June 6, 2005.
Meteorological Information
At 0953, Montgomery Field reported wind 130° at 6 knots, visibility 10 sm, overcast at 5,500 ft, temperature 54°F, dew point 39°F, altimeter 30.08 inHg. At 0955, Miramar MCAS reported wind 130° at 5 knots, visibility 10 sm, broken clouds at 3,500 ft and 20,000 ft, temperature 55°F, dew point 39°F, altimeter 30.07 inHg. At 1047, Gillespie Field reported wind calm, visibility 15 sm, scattered at 3,600 ft and broken at 6,000 ft, temperature 54°F, dew point 37°F, altimeter 30.06 inHg. An NTSB weather study indicated a band of clouds from the coast inland, with tops 7,000 to 5,000 ft AGL over the accident site; no cumulonimbus or thunderstorms were indicated.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane was found at 1,060 ft elevation on a chaparral-covered hillside in Goodan Ranch Sycamore Canyon Preserve. The initial impact point was about 150 ft below a ridge crest, with a ground scar oriented on a magnetic heading of about 350° extending about 80 ft to the main wreckage. The fuselage was upright, aligned 350°, with the empennage broken off and inverted on the cabin roof. Wings were in place with extensive damage. The propeller spinner was crushed inward on about 1/3 of its diameter with no rotation marks. One blade was separated 12 inches from the hub; the other two were bent in a bow shape. All three blades were in the feathered position. All components were accounted for. No evidence of fire was found. Postaccident examinations at a salvage yard, including inspection by the propeller manufacturer, found no pre-impact mechanical discrepancies with the airframe, engine, or propeller.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the pilot was performed December 30, 2012. Toxicology tests by CAMI detected 15 mg/dL ethanol in a muscle sample (from sources other than ingestion), but no ethanol in the heart or brain. Metoprolol and tamsulosin were found in muscle and liver samples; the pilot had reported tamsulosin use on his May 5, 2011 medical application.
Tests and Research
The PFD, MFD, and Engine AirData computer were sent to the NTSB for data recovery. The accident flight was recorded between 1004:42 and 1015:29. The recording showed the airplane departed about 1009:28, climbed northwest then northeast, reaching a maximum pressure altitude of 6,858 ft at 1014:51, then descending. Around 1014:35, pitch attitude increased to 44.5° while airspeed dropped to 76 knots. The airplane then rolled left to a maximum bank of 93° by 1014:53. After 1014:52, the heading cyclically rotated left through nearly seven 360° turns until the recording ended at 1015:29. During the descent, N1 and N2 decreased, then N1 increased to 96% at 1015:18, but N2 fluctuated between 600 and 1,200 rpm without a corresponding increase.