Amateur-built Lancair 320 incident near Hillsboro, Oregon, April 2, 2008
On April 2, 2008 at about 9:23 pm local time, a amateur-built Lancair 320, registered N456, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (cruise) near Hillsboro, Oregon (Portland-Hillsboro 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
The malfunction of the airplane's battery and alternator that resulted in the failure of the landing gear to extend and lock in place.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 2008 · about 9:23 pm local time
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · Portland-Hillsboro · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Lancair 320
- Registration
- N456 · no longer on the register · serial 5
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the airplane lost electrical power. The pilot went through emergency procedures to conserve electrical power, and returned to the airport. He attempted to extend the electrically operated landing gear, but only heard the right main gear come down and lock. There was no emergency gear extension system available on the airplane. Air traffic controllers in the airport tower later confirmed that the gear did not appear to be in the normal down and locked position. The pilot landed on runway 30, the nose and left main gear collapsed, and the right main gear snapped off. The airplane went off the left side of the runway onto the grass, shearing off an intersection marker and causing substantial damage to the wing spar. Postaccident examination revealed that the battery had a dead cell, and the alternator had several discrepancies.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Battery/charger › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Alternator › generator drive sys › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Inoperative
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2007
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HIO Hillsboro OR at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 6,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from HIO
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.