Accident Overview
On October 20, 2024, at about 1600 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Lancair 360, registration N510G, was substantially damaged when it crashed in Cross City, Florida. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight Plan and Departure
The pilot filed an instrument flight rules flight plan from Atmore Municipal Airport (0R1) in Atmore, Alabama, to Cross City Airport (CTY) in Cross City, Florida. The estimated enroute time was 2 hours, and the aircraft carried 4 hours of fuel. The airplane departed 0R1 about 1430.
Loss of Communication and Radar Contact
At 1520, while in contact with Tallahassee approach control, the airplane's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) track and radio contact were lost. Air traffic controllers made multiple attempts to re-establish communication, including instructing turns and squawk IDENT, and transmitting on the VHF emergency frequency, with no response. The airplane was then handed off to Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), which also attempted contact without success. Jacksonville ARTCC tracked the airplane as a primary radar target until radar contact was lost about 24 miles from CTY.
Witness Accounts and Radio Transmission
A pilot flying into CTY at the time reported hearing the accident pilot on the CTY common traffic advisory frequency. The pilot stated he had experienced an electrical failure, was using a handheld radio, and requested a gear check while on the downwind leg for runway 4. After no response from the ground, the other pilot offered to check the landing gear but received no reply. Shortly thereafter, he heard an emergency locator transmitter broadcast and saw debris as he overflew the airport.
A witness living near CTY heard the airplane overhead and described the engine as spitting, sputtering, and backfiring. An eyewitness on the ground reported the airplane overflying the fixed base operator building at an altitude of about 600 to 700 feet, with the engine sounding like it was missing. The airplane then began a left descending turn. When it was about 100 feet above the ground, the left wing and nose dropped suddenly, and the airplane impacted the ground.
Wreckage Examination
The airplane came to rest on airport property, about 4,500 feet from the runway 4 threshold and 210 feet right of the runway 4 centerline, between the runway and taxiway Bravo. The debris path was approximately 160 feet long and oriented on a magnetic heading of 048°. All major components were found along the path. The initial impact scar contained green lens glass. The main wreckage was oriented on a magnetic heading of 340°. The outboard section of the right wing was found about 60 feet past the main wreckage.
Control continuity was confirmed from the left aileron, elevator, and rudder to the cockpit controls. The right aileron remained attached to the impact-separated right wing section, and its continuity could not be confirmed due to impact damage. The flap drive motor and worm gear were not extended, indicating flaps were in the up position. The landing gear selector was found in the retract position.
Fuel was present throughout the airframe fuel system, including both wing fuel tank boost pumps and filters, the header tank boost pump and filter, and the fuel strainer. The header and wing fuel tanks were breached during impact and contained no residual fuel. No fuel smell or vegetation blight was observed.
The engine remained partially attached to the fuselage via the tubular mount and was upside down. Postaccident examination confirmed thumb compression and suction, as well as crankshaft and valvetrain continuity through multiple rotations. The engine had two E-Mag electronic ignition systems. Oil was present in the sump, and fuel was observed in the engine-driven fuel pump, fuel servo, and flow divider.
The aircraft was equipped with two engine-driven alternators: a belt-driven unit on the engine front and a direct-driven unit on the accessory case. The main 12-volt battery read about 11.8 volts, and a second impact-separated battery read about 12.5 volts.
Fuel Records
A fuel receipt from the wreckage indicated the pilot purchased 15.69 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel on the morning of October 20 at Jasper County Airport – Bell Field (JAS) in Jasper, Texas. Another receipt from 0R1 showed a purchase of 24.13 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel at 1313.
The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination.