NTSB Factual Report

History of Flight

On September 3, 1995, at 0943 hours Pacific daylight time, an experimental R.A. Floyd Lancair 200 SE, N92RF, exited the departure end of runway 34, went down an embankment, and exploded at Georgetown Airport, Georgetown, California. The pilot was beginning a visual flight rules personal flight to Corona Airport, Corona, California. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed by impact and the postimpact fire; several trees were also destroyed. The certificated private pilot and his wife sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators interviewed the owner of Skyways Flying Service, a fixed-base operator at the airport. The owner said the pilot arrived at Georgetown Airport on September 1, 1995, in the late afternoon to attend a scheduled Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in. On September 3, 1995, the pilot personally fueled his airplane with 7 gallons of 100 octane, low lead gas, in each main wing fuel tank. He did not know if this fuel topped-off all of the fuel tanks.

The owner, a certificated commercial pilot and aircraft mechanic, said that he was in front of his facility when the airplane departed runway 34. He said that the prevailing winds were from the south between 3 and 5 knots; the winds favored runway 16. During the takeoff ground run, the airplane was not accelerating properly and that the engine was not developing full power. The engine was not sputtering or backfiring, but was producing a power sound equivalent to a "fast taxi."

When the airplane passed his facility, about 1/3 of the runway length, it was not accelerating properly. He said that he knew something was going to happen and went for his truck. When he got to his truck, the airplane exited the runway and plunged over the embankment and crashed. He observed a fireball while driving toward the accident site. The airplane never lifted off while he observed it, nor did the engine power sound decrease.

Other pilot ground witnesses repeated the owner's statement. All of the witnesses said the engine was not developing full power, but that the engine was not missing, backfiring, or sputtering. One witness said that when the airplane was at midfield, its speed was between 40 and 50 miles per hour.

Four of the witnesses reported that they observed smoke emanating from the wheel brakes when the airplane passed runway 16 go-around line (about 150 yards from the departure end of runway 34). The airplane exited the runway and plunged down the embankment.

The accident coordinates are: 38 degrees, 55.55 minutes north latitude and 120 degrees, 51.87 minutes west longitude.

Crew Information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate dated June 6, 1995; the certificate contained a "must wear glasses for near and distant vision" restriction. He also held an aircraft repairman (experimental) certificate with the following limitations:

Inspection certificate for experimental aircraft make Floyd Model Lancair Serial No. 107. Certification date August 11, 1989.

The pilot's flight hours logbook was not recovered. The flight hours reflected on page 3 of this report were obtained from the pilot's last medical application form.

Safety Board investigators were unable to determine if the pilot satisfied the pertinent federal air regulations general and recency requirements, including the required biennial flight review.

The pilot's hangar partner told Safety Board investigators that he had flown the airplane about 25 hours since the engine was reinstalled in the airplane.

Airplane Information

The FAA records show that the pilot built the accident airplane. The FAA issued the airplane its airworthiness certificate on June 15, 1991.

The pilot's hangar partner told Safety Board investigators that sometime in 1994 the pilot received contaminated fuel. The fuel company agreed to pay the pilot to have the engine overhauled.

The pilot removed the engine and sent it to DeMars Engine Rebuilders, Colorado Springs, Colorado. DeMars Engine Rebuilders records show that the engine was rebuilt to zero time standards and returned to the owner on September 14, 1994; the engine accrued 1,567.3 hours.

During the overhaul, the engine crankshaft was replaced with a Continental PC-60 (Packette) engine crankshaft in accordance with an FAA sealed copy of Ken Hatfield Enterprises Engineering Authorization No.84-5, Revision B, dated December 10, 1985. In addition, the dome shaped pistons were installed. The pistons were obtained from Light Speed Engineering, Santa Paula, California, and the cylinders were obtained from A.E.R.O. Aviation Company, Inc., Granite City, Illinois.

Airport Information

The airport is in Class G airspace and does not have any FAA air traffic facilities. It has a single asphalt surfaced runway that is 2,980 feet long by 60 feet wide. The runway is oriented in a northwest/southeast (34/16) direction. Trees surround the airport from the east to the west.

The terrain slopes downward about 40 degrees at the departure end of runway 34. The area between the departure end of runway 34 and the beginning of the downward sloping terrain is a hard gravel surface that extends about 87 feet.

Meteorological Information

The airport does not have an official weather observation facility. The weather data reflected on page 4 was obtained from ground witnesses.

One ground witness told Safety Board investigators that he has an air data computer in his airplane. This computer measures the ambient temperature and the airplane's pressure altitude. After the accident, the witness turned on the air data computer and determined that the prevailing density altitude was 5,090 feet.

McClellan Air Force Base, Sacramento, California, is the nearest official weather observation facility, located about 35 miles southwest of the accident site. The 0855 hours surface weather observation was:

Scattered clouds - 10,000 feet; visibility - 30 miles; temperature - 64 degrees' F; dew point 53 degrees' F; surface winds - 150 degrees at 10 knots

Wreckage and Impact Information

Ground scars and the wreckage examination revealed tire skid marks east of the runway centerline beginning about 360 feet from the departure end of the runway. The tire marks continued on the gravel overrun area until the airplane went over the cliff embankment. The initial ground impact point is about 189 feet northwest of the departure end of the runway and its elevation is 2,569 feet msl. The main wreckage came to rest, inverted, about 231 feet northwest of the departure end of runway 34 and its elevation is 2,540 feet msl. About an acre of forest vegetation was burned during the postimpact fire.

The entire airplane was incinerated. Safety Board investigators were unable to identify any flight control surfaces. Only the wing tips were identifiable.

All of the instruments were destroyed by fire. The throttle and mixture controls were found in the full open and full rich positions, respectively.

The propeller blades separated from the hub assembly. Remnants of the propeller blade were found at the initial impact point. The wooden propeller blades displayed chordwise scuffing, but no leading edge gouging, and were shattered.

The engine compartment forward of the firewall separated from the airframe and was found inverted at the main wreckage area. The engine sustained extreme postimpact fire damage.

The engine was disassembled and examined at Plain Parts, Pleasant Grove, California, on September 4, 1995. As previously stated, the engine sustained extensive postimpact fire damage, but minimal ground impact damage. Investigators were unable to rotate the crankshaft before the engine was disassembled.

The magnesium accessory case was melted and the associated accessories, including the magnetos and alternator, were destroyed by fire and could not be tested.

The spark plugs were blackened, but their respective center electrodes were not ovaled.

The carburetor assembly was melted, except part of the metal float assembly and its associated mounting flange and connecting lever. Safety Board investigators found the throttle connecting lever positioned at the 3/4-open position and the mixture control lever at the cut-off position.

The electric fuel pump cap was found safetied and its fittings were securely attached. The internal components were destroyed by fire and all of its attaching hoses were burnt off.

The oil pump gears were intact, but sustained extensive fire damage.

The exhaust tubes showed normal combustion signatures.

Several cylinder hold-down nuts were found loose.

The No. 1 cylinder rocker shaft boss was found broken at its base and pushed upward; some fracture surfaces displayed extensive high temperature distress and melting. The associated cam lobes were down and the valve springs were relaxed. The inner side of the rocker box cover plate showed an upward bearing rub and an impact signature at the top of the plate.

The pistons did not contain any identifying serial or part numbers. The pistons were dome-shaped and not the standard pistons normally found in an O-200 series engine.

The pistons' rings displayed normal wear signatures and were not seized within their grooves. The No. 2 piston compression and oil scraper ring grooves were aligned at the 12 o'clock position. The numbers 1, 3, and 4 piston rings were properly aligned.

Both case halves did not display any fretting signatures. The main bearings displayed normal wear signatures, but sustained extensive external heat damage.

The valve lifters showed no evidence of any rotation during their operation. A singular wear mark on each lifter was present.

The connecting rods were properly installed and safetied. The connecting rod bearings showed normal wear signatures, but sustained extensive external heat damage.

Medical and Pathological Information

The El Dorado County Sheriff/Coroner's Office conducted post mortem examinations on the pilot and passenger. The pathologist did not note any condition or disease that would have affected the pilot's ability to fly an airplane.

Toxicological examinations were conducted by the FAA, Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The toxicological examinations were negative for alcohol or drugs.

Tests and Research

The Safety Board's Office of Research and Engineering, Materials Laboratory Division, visually examined the No. 1 cylinder, including the cylinder head cover, piston, connecting rod, rod cap and bolts, bearing, and rocker arm push rods. The examination showed that the left side of the cylinder had been exposed to high temperatures, resulting in partial melting of the aluminum material of the cylinder head. Some melted aluminum material had pooled and resolidified, but remained attached to the head.

The left rocker shaft boss was partially melted and was thinned from loss of internal metal during the melting process. One side of the boss was grossly elongated during the melting. The deformation of the boss allowed the rocker shaft to shift about 0.3 inches.

One side of the center boss contained a "gaping crack" at its base; the other side was not cracked. The metallurgist reported, ". . .Visual examination inside the crack revealed that ligaments of aluminum metal progressed between the faces of the crack, consistent with a separation that occurred at a temperature at or slightly below the melting range for the material. . .."

The metallurgist also said, ". . .that the fracture surfaces revealed no evidence of preexisting fracture regions or defects that may have contributed to the separation. . .."

Visual examination of the cylinder head cover revealed no evidence of any mechanical damage from impacts of the rocker shaft component against the interior of the cover. The interior surface did contain a small area of scratching in a position approximately corresponding to the right boss.

Additional Information

The main wreckage, except the No. 1 cylinder assembly, was released to Plain Parts on September 4, 1995. The Safety Board's Materials Laboratory, Washington, D.C. returned the No. 1 cylinder assembly to Plain Parts.

NTSB Probable Cause

a partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to abort the takeoff in a timely manner. The tailwind was a factor.