Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sky Ranch Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Knoxville, Tennessee 37920
Monday, October 20, 2003 18:18 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
About 10 seconds after takeoff approximately 200 to 300 feet above the ground, the airplane's engine began to run rough. The pilot executed a 180-degree turn back toward the runway, and the engine continued to run rough. The engine then quit completely, and the pilot stated the airplane "dropped like a brick." The pilot stated he "pulled the nose up" and "couldn't see the runway," and he looked out the side window and saw the runway. He stated that within seconds, the airplane collided with the ground, and he blacked out. A certified flight instructor-rated witness observed the airplane on final approach and stated it was "low and slow." The airplane collided with a rock river embankment approximately two feet below the runway elevation. The wreckage came to rest in the grass above the embankment and a few yards short of the runway. Fuel was observed at the accident site. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction could be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and subsequent inflight collision with rocks during forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/20/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1818 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Knoxville |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37920 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 355308N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0835727W |
| Event Location Airport | Sky Ranch Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TN98 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 830 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 203 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KTYS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 981 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.08 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1982 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17253 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 20 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1936 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 24 2005 9:13AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Nashville FSDO - 03 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N797RP |
| NTSB Number | ATL04LA021 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Godwin |
| Aircraft Model | Lancair 360 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 797 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 19 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0.9 |
| Airframe Hours | 134.9 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Glenn Edwin Griffin |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3730 Henderson Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Knoxville |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37931 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | TN98 |
| Departure City | Knoxville |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1818 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | TN98 |
| Destination City | Knoxville |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency descent/landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 19 |
| Runway Length | 2100 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |