Amateur-built Lancair 360 accident near La Junta, Colorado, July 6, 2001
On July 6, 2001 at about 4:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Lancair 360, registered N15EG, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Junta, Colorado (La Junta Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a wheels-up landing due to an uncommanded gear retraction resulting from a short circuit of the landing gear electrical wiring.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2001 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- La Junta, Colorado · La Junta Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Lancair 360
- Registration
- N15EG · registry record · serial 727-320-570FB
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
When the pilot slowed the airplane and extended the landing gear, he heard the usual loud aerodynamic noise and observed three green lights indicating the landing gear was down and locked. Instead of touching down on its wheels, the airplane landed wheels up. Postaccident inspection revealed all three wheels were in their respective wheel wells. The main landing gear doors were partially open, and there was hydraulic pressure on the right inboard door. The landing gear control was confirmed to be in the DOWN position. The landing gear UP RELAY was hot to the touch. What appeared to be the beginning of a mouse nest was noted in the center console where the gear, flap, starter, and power wires pass.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 250 hours in all; 79 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 173 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,460 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 3,370 as pilot in command; 1,920 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 194 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 5, 2000; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-H186D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHX La Junta CO at 2:30 pm
- Destination: LHX La Junta CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 6,848 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from LHX
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.
Other NTSB records under N15EG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN01LA121.