Amateur-built LANCAIR accident near Morris, Minnesota, December 23, 1995
On December 23, 1995 at about 6:34 pm local time, a amateur-built LANCAIR, registered N2114Z, was destroyed in an accident near Morris, Minnesota. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the partially blocked elevator and improper installation of the elevator bob weight by the owner/builder which prevented full travel of the elevator control system. Factors relating to this accident were the intentional stall and inability to adequately recover from the stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 1995 · about 6:34 pm local time
- Place
- Morris, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LANCAIR
- Registration
- N2114Z · registry record · serial 438-320188FB
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness who observed the airplane before the accident, saw the airplane 'performing a steep climb and then slowly turning left and coming back down. The airplane then straightened out and repeated the maneuver.' The airplane wreckage was discovered approximately 25 minutes later. The pilot/owner-builder told a friend the day before the accident that he intended to test the airplane to see how it would handle in stalls and stall recoveries. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the elevator bob weight was mounted on the idler arm upside down. A mock up of the assembly revealed the upside-down elevator bob weight was contacting the aft elevator push rod, resulting in a partial blockage of the elevator whenever forward stick controls were applied. This limited the elevator control surface to approximately 7 degrees of down elevator travel range. The assembly plans, provided by the kit manufacturer, were designed to provide a down elevator travel range of 13 degrees. The aircraft logbook indicated that as of 12/21/95, the airplane had logged 13.1 hours.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,074 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 12,832 as pilot in command; 12,098 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 1995; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,685 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MOX at 6:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from MOX, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.