Amateur-built Lancair 235 accident near Payson, Arizona, December 28, 2002
On December 28, 2002 at about 10:10 pm local time, a amateur-built Lancair 235, registered N777KL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Payson, Arizona (Payson airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during an aborted landing that resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. A contributing factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 2002 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Payson, Arizona · Payson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Lancair 235
- Registration
- N777KL · registry record · serial 146
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane stalled during an aborted landing, entered a spin, and impacted the ground. Multiple pilot witnesses stated that the airplane made two approaches that culminated in go-arounds. On the third approach, the airplane landed hard about 1,500 feet down the runway. The airplane bounced into the air, landed back on the runway, bounced up once more, and then they heard the engine power up to abort the landing. The airplane climbed to about 100 feet and the witnesses saw the airplane's nose pitch up and the angle of attack continue to increase as the airplane flew down the runway at a slow airspeed. The left wing dropped, the airplane rotated into a spin, and then it impacted the ground. An inspection of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies. The pilot purchased the accident airplane 2 days prior to the accident. A review of the pilot's medical application indicated that he had not flown in the last 6 months. A review of his logbooks revealed that the pilot had no flight time in the accident airplane make and model. The broker who sold him the airplane, asked the pilot to fly with someone that was familiar with the accident airplane make and model before flying it solo. The day of the accident, the pilot informed the broker that he wanted to taxi test it. On the second high-speed taxi test, the airplane became airborne. The broker attempted to contact the pilot after the airplane departed the airport environment. The airplane returned about an hour later, and flew two circuits around the airport below traffic pattern altitude. It was on the third approach that the airplane landed hard, bounced into the air, and climbed to an altitude of about 150 feet in a wings level attitude, before the pilot lost control of it.
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: 800 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 137 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 1, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAN Payson CA at 9:20 pm
- Destination: PAN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from PAN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.