History of Flight
On October 28, 2013, at approximately 1300 Pacific daylight time, a Musick Lancair 235, registration N25DM, collided with a house in a residential neighborhood in McMinnville, Oregon. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight, a local personal trip, had departed from McMinnville Municipal Airport around 1215. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Earlier that morning, the pilot met a friend at the airport for a business transaction. Around 1000, the pilot stated he intended to fly the accident airplane and invited the friend to accompany him; the friend declined due to previous engagements.
A helicopter flight instructor, who was flying with a student in the traffic pattern, observed the pilot performing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings on runway 04. The pilot made wide patterns and periodically left the pattern. While the instructor was in a low hover, the pilot transmitted on the common airport frequency that he was having trouble with his landing gear position indicators, with only two of three gear lights illuminated. He requested the instructor observe the gear during a low pass. The pilot flew about 20 to 40 feet above ground level over runway 04. The instructor saw all gear extended and reported this. The pilot said the lights indicated the right gear was not down and locked, and he planned to gain altitude and manually retract and extend the gear to reset the indicators. He departed the pattern to the northeast, and shortly thereafter, grunts were heard over the radio.
Numerous witnesses saw the airplane at about 300 feet agl enter a loop maneuver, then dive toward a house in a steep nose-low attitude. The house's resident heard a loud bang and ran outside uninjured.
Personnel Information
Federal Aviation Administration records showed the pilot, age 56, held a private pilot certificate. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on December 1, 2010, with the limitation that he wear glasses for near vision. According to that application, he had about 1,620 hours of total flight experience. The medical certificate expired on December 31, 2012.
A friend of the pilot stated the pilot routinely performed 180-degree u-turns in the airplane, made extremely wide traffic patterns, and was not adventurous; he never performed aerobatics and did not like steep turns.
Aircraft Information
The Lancair 235 is an amateur-built experimental low-wing airplane with two seats, retractable landing gear, and traditional flight controls. The accident airplane, serial number 36, received a special airworthiness certificate as an amateur-built aircraft in June 1990. The pilot purchased it in 1998.
Cockpit gauges indicated a total time in service of 609.4 hours, though a 2004 airworthiness application listed 1,090 hours. Few records were found in the pilot's hangar; the last recorded maintenance was November 2005, and the last annual inspection entry was August 30, 2004. The airplane was powered by a Lycoming O-290G engine, serial number 195424.
Prior to departure, 9.6 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel were added, with fuel in the fuselage tank and wing tanks.
A friend noted the landing gear had a history of problems and that no maintenance had been seen since summer 2012; the airplane appeared unprofessionally maintained with wires hanging.
Meteorological Information
At 1253, an automated weather observation at McMinnville reported skies clear, visibility 10 miles, wind from 050 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 18 knots, temperature 59°F, dew point 30°F, and altimeter setting 29.85 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage came to rest in a garage attached to a single-family residence, about 3.4 miles from the airport on a bearing of 304 degrees. The main wreckage included the empennage, cockpit area, vertical stabilizer, and most of the rudder. Both wings, horizontal stabilizers, and elevator control surfaces were found in a debris field about 100 feet long, primarily west of the garage. The fuselage penetrated a wall dividing an office and a bedroom; the engine came to rest about 15 feet to the west in a bathroom. The garage had a 12x12-foot hole. The right main landing gear was found in the house with the wheel detached; the left main gear was under the left wing. The nose gear arm was bent, consistent with being extended at impact.
Additional Information
The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook includes guidance on landing gear malfunction procedures, noting that diving to VNE and executing a rapid pull-up may force gear down but requires fine control and avoiding accelerated stalls.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted by the Clackamas Oregon Medical Examiner and toxicology by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute detected no ethanol. Pheniramine was found in urine but not blood. Glucose levels were elevated in urine (2514 mg/dL; abnormal above 100) and normal in vitreous (82 mg/dL). Hemoglobin A1C was 8.6 percent, diagnostic of diabetes (≥6.5 percent).
Tests and Research
NTSB and Lycoming Engines examined the wreckage on October 30, 2013, in Dallas, Oregon. Control continuity was established from the cockpit to control surfaces. Engine examination revealed spark; all spark plugs clean except one dark from oil saturation. The carburetor float and seat were intact; oil screens clean. A borescope showed normal combustion patterns. Engine rotation confirmed continuity and compression. The vacuum pump showed wear consistent with rotation and impact damage. No evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures was found.