Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cliffdell, Washington 98937
Friday, August 1, 2008 14:33 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the instrument-flight-rules flight at 11,000 feet mean sea level, the pilot's last transmission to air traffic control confirmed his altimeter setting. Shortly thereafter, radar data indicated that the airplane started a descending right-hand turn. The final radar return was at 9,700 feet msl. The airplane wreckage was located about 1 mile west of the final radar return, at a terrain elevation of 3,830 feet. The debris field was consistent with an in-flight breakup, with airplane wreckage distributed over a distance of 0.5 miles. A study of the meteorology in the vicinity at the time of the accident indicated that a broken to overcast ceiling existed between 5,000 to 6,000 feet msl and extended up to 14,000 feet msl. Satellite imagery depicted cloud top temperatures of -1 to -3 degrees C between 11,000 and 12,000 feet msl. The location of the last radar return was immediately downwind of Mt. Rainier and the sounding wind profile indicated favorable conditions for mountain wave formation. Digital photos of Mt. Rainier taken a few minutes before the accident were recovered from a camera onboard the airplane. The images depict a clear view of clouds surrounding Mt. Rainier and that the airplane was operating immediately above a broken-to-overcast cloud layer, in visual meteorological conditions. The radar track combined with weather radar imagery and satellite imagery indicated that the airplane was in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) at the time it entered the descending right turn and dropped below the radar floor. Flight performance data recovered from cockpit instrumentation indicate that 5 minutes prior to the accident the airplane experienced continuous turbulence ranging from 0.77 to 1.5 vertical g's, consistent with a mountain wave encounter. Upon entering IMC conditions, the airplane began a right turn that developed into a spiral descent. During the last few seconds of flight the airplane was oriented 88.6 degrees nose down, 113 degrees angle of bank, and 290 knots. Upon exiting the bottom of the cloud layer, at 6,135 msl, the airplane experienced a rapid onset of g's that exceeded the strength of the airplane. The sudden onset of g-load is constant with the pilot's attempt to recover from the rapid descent and unusual attitude.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while in cruise flight due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was turbulence and clouds.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/1/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1433 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Cliffdell |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98937 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 470308N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1211332W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1423 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 330 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSMP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3967 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.01 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25482 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 1 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 28 2009 12:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Spokane FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N45EL |
| NTSB Number | LAX08LA253 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | LONG |
| Aircraft Model | Lancair ES |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 051996-ECL |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 5 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 267 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Eugene C. Long |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Eugene Long |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Lafayette |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 80026 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PAKT |
| Departure City | Ketchikan |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 657 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KU76 |
| Destination City | Mountain Home |
| Destination State | ID |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 28 2009 12:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |