What happened
On October 6, 2019, an experimental, amateur-built Lancair Legacy, registration N10LG, was destroyed in an accident near Bixby, Missouri. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 regulations. The pilot, who had flown from Texas to Missouri three days prior for a meeting, was fatally injured in the crash.
Radar data indicated the aircraft departed at approximately 0825 central daylight time, maintaining an altitude between 2,300 ft and 2,800 ft MSL on a south-southwesterly heading. At 0846, the aircraft began a descent, reaching 1,525 ft MSL. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft entered a climbing, 270° left turn and slowed to approximately 42 kts before radar contact was lost at 0849:49 at an altitude of 1,975 ft MSL.
Witnesses near the site reported thick cloud cover and mist. One witness noted the engine sounded as though it was "revving high" and estimated the aircraft was flying at a very low altitude, potentially near the treetops, due to the low cloud ceiling. The wreckage was located by the Civil Air Patrol approximately five miles south of Bixby in the Mark Twain National Forest.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage showed the aircraft impacted heavily-wooded terrain in a flat attitude. The right wing separated at the spar carry-through, while the left wing remained attached. The engine remained attached to the fuselage but was displaced to the left, and the three-blade metal propeller separated from the crankshaft. Analysis of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.
Meteorological data from nearby airports showed a broken ceiling at 2,000 ft AGL at St. Louis and an overcast ceiling of 2,000 ft AGL at Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport.
Investigation into the pilot's records showed no record of a weather briefing or a filed flight plan prior to departure. While the pilot held several certificates and the aircraft was equipped for instrument flight, logbook entries indicated very limited recent instrument experience.