Mc Minnville Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mcminnville, Oregon 97128
Monday, October 28, 2013 13:00 PDT

On October 28, 2013, about 1300 Pacific daylight time, a Musick Lancair O-235, N25DM, was conducting a low-level aerobatic maneuver and collided into a house in a residential neighborhood in McMinnville, Oregon. The pilot was the registered owner, and was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. The local personal flight departed from McMinnville Municipal Airport, McMinnville, about 1215. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. A friend of the pilot, who was also a pilot and airplane owner based in McMinnville, stated that they had met at the airport that morning to conduct a business transaction. Around 1000 they finished, and the pilot stated that he was intending to fly the accident airplane. The pilot noted that he hadn't flown in for a while and asked the friend to accompany him on the flight. The friend declined due to previously planned engagements, and that was the last time they interacted. The pilot purchased 9.2 gallons of 100LL avgas and departed about 20 minutes later. A helicopter certified flight instructor (CFI), was flying with a student in the traffic pattern around the same time as the pilot. He stated that the pilot was performing touch-and-go practice takeoff and landings on runway 04. The pilot was making wide patterns to the runway and would then leave the pattern for a short time and reappear. While the CFI was in a low hover, the pilot made a radio transmission on the common airport frequency (UNICOM). The pilot stated that he was having trouble with his landing position indicators and that only two of the airplane's three landing gear lights were illuminated. The pilot requested for the CFI to look at the landing gear's position while he performed a low-level pass over the runway. The pilot maneuvered the airplane about 20 to 40 feet above ground level (agl) as he passed over runway 04. The CFI observed all the landing gear to be extended and told the pilot of his observation. The pilot communicated that the conflicting observation was confusing, because the landing gear lights indicated that the right gear was not in the down and lock position. The pilot further stated that he was going to gain some altitude and manually retract and extend his landing gear in an attempt to rest the lights. He made a departure from the traffic pattern to the northeast and made no further communications. Numerous witnesses observed the airplane performing a loop and then diving toward the house in steep nose-low attitude. The witness that resides in the house stated that she heard a loud bang and ran outside uninjured. The main wreckage was located in a garage, which was situated at the most easterly end of a single-family residence, and about 3.4 miles from the airport on a bearing of 304 degrees. The main wreckage consisted of the empennage, cockpit area, vertical stabilizer, and a majority of the rudder. Both wings, horizontal stabilizers, and elevator control surfaces were found in the debris field, which stretched about 100 feet and was primarily west of the garage. The main wreckage came to rest on a wall dividing two rooms: an office (to the south) and a bedroom (to the north). The debris path from the main wreckage was on a bearing of 285° degrees. The garage's exterior impact damage consisted of a hole about 12 feet by 12 feet at its longest points. Inside the structural, 2 x 4 ceiling gussets were knocked free. The fuselage and area forward of the firewall came to rest in the bedroom, and the engine was about 15 feet to the west in the bathroom. The airframe and engine were recovered to a facility for further examination.

Not Yet Reported