Amateur-built LANCAIR 320 accident near Dawsonville, Georgia, February 13, 2011
On February 13, 2011 at about 4:00 pm local time, a amateur-built LANCAIR 320, registered N351E, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Dawsonville, Georgia. 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
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and failure to detect water-contaminated fuel, which resulted in a 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
- February 13, 2011 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dawsonville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LANCAIR 320
- Registration
- N351E · registry record · serial MK01
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After about 25 minutes of flight, the pilot began transferring fuel from the left and right main fuel tanks to the 10-gallon header tank which fed the engine. Ten minutes after completing that operation, the engine began to lose power. The pilot activated the fuel boost pumps and adjusted the throttle and mixture controls. He stated that the engine surged as though it was running out of fuel. When engine power could not be restored, the pilot performed a forced landing to the median of a divided highway, and a hard landing resulted in substantial damage to the left wing tip, rudder, and propeller. A postacciddent examination of the fuel filter revealed traces of sediment and water, while the gascolator bowl contained water and debris. The filter and bowl were then reinstalled and an engine run was completed using the airplane’s own battery and fuel system. The engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption.
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 contamination during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,900 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 11, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 479 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 1, 2010; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,685 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO 320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LZU Lawrenceville GA at 3:50 pm
- Destination: WDR Winder GA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from 47A, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.