Amateur-built LANCAIR 360 accident near Chesapeake, Virginia, April 3, 2011
On April 3, 2011 at about 8:30 pm local time, a amateur-built LANCAIR 360, registered N164T, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Chesapeake, Virginia (Chesapeake Regional Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot did not maintain airspeed following a loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's selection of the wrong fuel tank at takeoff, which resulted in fuel starvation and the total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 2011 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chesapeake, Virginia · Chesapeake Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LANCAIR 360
- Registration
- N164T · no longer on the register · serial 509-320-247-FB
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had earlier flown to the airport and was taking his sister on a short familiarization flight. Witnesses reported that, after takeoff, when the airplane was beyond the departure end of the runway and about 200 to 300 feet above the ground, the engine began sputtering and backfiring. The airplane then turned sharply to the right (back toward the runway), stalled, and spun. It began to recover, and, as it did, several witnesses heard a brief reestablishment of power before impact. An examination of the wreckage indicated that, at the time of impact, the airplane was in an approximate 20-degrees-nose-down left rotation. No preexisting mechanical anomalies were noted with the engine or the airplane. Both fuel tanks were found empty but compromised. Areas of browned vegetation at the crash site indicated that, although specific fuel amounts could not be determined, very little fuel had been in the left fuel tank and far more fuel had been in the right tank. Although the fuel selector was found in the right tank position, its position prior to the loss of engine power could not be determined. If the fuel selector had been selected to the right tank while the airplane was in its initial climb attitude, it is possible that there was an insufficient quantity of fuel in the tank to cover the port that supplied the engine and that, when the nose of the airplane subsequently fell during the stall, fuel moved forward to cover the port and resupply fuel to the engine, resulting in the restored power heard by witnesses. A more likely scenario is that the pilot took off with the fuel selected to the left tank, and, once the loss of engine power occurred, he selected the right tank, which resupplied fuel to the engine before impact.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during initial climb
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,533 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 242 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CPK Chesapeake VA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: CPK Chesapeake VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 8:20 pm from CPK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.