Aviation Crash Map

Godwin LANCAIR 360 N797RP

20 October 2003 · Knoxville, Tennessee, United States · Fatal

Summary

On 20 October 2003 at about 22:18 local time, a Godwin LANCAIR 360 registered N797RP was involved in an accident near Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 22:18
Classification
Accident
Location
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Nearest airport
Sky Ranch Airport (TN98)
Coordinates
35.8856, -83.9575
Aircraft
Godwin LANCAIR 360
Registration
N797RP
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Knoxville → Knoxville
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ATL04LA021

People

1 person died.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 1 1 0 0

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and subsequent inflight collision with rocks during forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

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All 170,864 records in United States