Lancair LC41 accident near Moscow, Pennsylvania, December 4, 2018
On December 4, 2018 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 2004 Lancair LC41, registered N618G, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Moscow, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power and catastrophic engine failure due to the failure of the left turbocharger, which resulted in oil loss and oil starvation. Contributing to the accident was the failure of maintenance personnel to overhaul the turbocharger in accordance with manufacturer guidance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 2018 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Moscow, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lancair LC41 550FG, built 2004
- Registration
- N618G · registry record · serial 41032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, about 20 minutes after departure, the airplane began to shudder. He adjusted the engine power, but the airplane continued to shake before the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a road, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual examination revealed multiple holes in the top of the engine crankcase. Disassembly of the engine revealed that the Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5 connecting rods were fractured and separated from the connecting rod journals. The connecting rods, connecting rod bearings, and the crankshaft’s connecting rod journals displayed thermal discoloration consistent with oil starvation. Examination of the engine components and engine-related systems revealed no evidence of a pre-impact oil leak; however, the left turbocharger was missing its turbine wheel, and the shaft was fractured outboard of the turbine piston ring. A test run of an exemplar engine without the left turbine wheel revealed significant oil loss during operation. The left turbocharger was overhauled 158 flight hours before the accident, and its wheel assemblies were reused rather than replaced, as specified by the manufacturer. It is likely the separation of the left turbine wheel resulted in oil escaping the engine, which resulted in oil starvation and catastrophic engine failure.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Turbocharging (recip only) › Turbocharger › Failure
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,499 hours in all; 1,351 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,476 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 9, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,285 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2018; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-550 (piston); 1,285 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOM Philadelphia PA at 3:10 pm
- Destination: BGM Binghamton NY
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft; a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from AVP, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on February 24, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Turbocharger Overhaul Instructions | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpt from Turbocharger Maintenance Manual | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Turbocharger Maintenance Records | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Mfr- Hartzell Propellers | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Engine Examination | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.