Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Seligman, Arizona 86337
Friday, May 22, 2009 23:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Seventeen hours before departing for the cross-country flight, the pilot received a weather briefing; no other weather updates by the pilot were identified prior to departure and filing of the instrument flight plan. AIRMETs current for the time and area of the accident flight forecast mountain obscuration in clouds and moderate icing conditions between 12,000 and 25,000 feet. The pilot’s assigned altitude was 21,000 feet, and radar data indicated that the airplane was cruising at 20,900 feet with varying altitudes of plus or minus 100 feet for about 25 minutes. A few minutes before the accident, the air traffic controller issued the pilot a clearance to descend from 21,000 feet to 16,000 feet, which the pilot acknowledged. Radar data showed that the airplane descended rapidly, transitioning from a recorded altitude of 20,400 feet to 17,200 feet in 32 seconds, followed by an altitude of 13,700 feet (the last recorded radar target) 8 seconds later. The accident site was located at an elevation of 5,800 feet.
On-site documentation indicated that the airplane impacted the ground in a right-wing-low attitude with a debris path that extended about 100 yards from the first identified point of impact. The airframe was heavily fragmented, and only a limited examination could be accomplished due to impact damage. The engine was also severely impact damaged; however, examination of the available components revealed no evidence of abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation. Based on the available weather data for the area of the accident flight, it is likely that the flight encountered the forecast icing conditions. Moderate intensity icing is defined as a rate of accumulation such that even short encounters become potentially hazardous, and the use of deicing and anti-icing equipment or diversion is necessary. The airplane was not equipped for flight in icing conditions.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of airplane control during en route descent while operating in known icing conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/22/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2330 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Seligman |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86337 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 350546N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1125759W |
| 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 | 2253 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 150 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PRC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5045 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 47 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| 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) | 29291 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AWP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 18 2011 3:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N144L |
| NTSB Number | WPR09LA263 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Lanham |
| Aircraft Model | Lancair IV |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 138 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 20 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 654 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | David Unitan |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Portland |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97201 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Scott Resnick |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Beaverton |
| Operator State | OR |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 97006 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 7S3 |
| Departure City | Stark's Twin Oa |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2030 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SDL |
| Destination City | Scottsdale |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 18 2011 2:20PM |
| 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 | -- |