Peterson Lancair LEGACY N259L

Summary

On 19 October 2017 at about 15:34 local time, a Peterson Lancair LEGACY registered N259L was involved in an accident near Bowie, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 October 2017 at 15:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Bowie, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.3686, -109.5661

Aircraft

Peterson Lancair LEGACY

Registration

N259L

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aguila → Uvalde

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR18FA011

1 person died.

An in-flight loss of control due to a bird strike.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had planned to make a 745-nautical mile (nm) cross-country flight. A flight plan found in the wreckage indicated the pilot's intention to fly to the southeast and reach two checkpoints along the route of flight. Radar data revealed that, after the airplane reached the first planned checkpoint, the radar returns were equidistant as the airplane continued flying to the southeast. The last minute of radar data showed that the airplane descended about 2,300 ft while northwest of the second planned checkpoint, with the last radar return off the anticipated route. A witness located near the accident site stated that he observed the airplane circling toward the ground. The wreckage was found 17 nm northwest of the second planned checkpoint. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Numerous pieces of windscreen and airplane were examined by the Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Lab. Of the 38 microslides that were prepared, 6 microslides contained bird feather fragments. Thus, given these results as well as the airplane's rapid descent from cruise flight, it is likely that a bird impacted the windscreen and caused the pilot to lose control of the airplane. It could not be determined from the available evidence if the bird strike hindered the pilot's ability to maneuver controls and/or incapacitated the pilot. The type of bird could also not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.