Amateur-built Lionheart accident near Bremerton, Washington, May 24, 2001
On May 24, 2001 at about 9:45 pm local time, a amateur-built Lionheart, registered N816JC, was destroyed in an accident near Bremerton, Washington (Bremerton National airport). 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
the pilot's failure to ensure the aircraft's longitudinal axis was aligned with the runway prior to touchdown, and his failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors include landing with a tailwind, and the pilot's lack of recent experience in the particular make and model aircraft. A factor in the severity of the post-accident fire was the kit manufacturer's inadequate design, which allowed the excessive side-load failure of a main gear leg to pull a portion of the wall from a wing fuel tank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2001 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bremerton, Washington · Bremerton National · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Lionheart
- Registration
- N816JC · no longer on the register · serial GH-LA-004
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight during which the accident took place was the maiden flight for the recently completed tailwheel-equipped experimental aircraft. After flying familiarization maneuvers for about 30 minutes, the pilot returned to the departure airfield, where he made two preplanned low approaches in order to establish the best indicated airspeed for his first landing. During his third approach, which was intended to terminate in a full-stop landing, the pilot was high on final. He therefore applied right rudder to slip the aircraft in order to lose altitude. Although the pilot eliminated most of the slip as he flared the aircraft for landing, as it floated down the runway, he inadvertently allowed the nose to begin rotating to the right. Then, just before the aircraft touched down, the nose of the aircraft rotated further to the right. The aircraft touched down in a significant right crab and immediately rocked up onto its left main gear. At the same time, it started increasing its rate of turn to the right. About 275 feet from where the aircraft touched down, the left main gear experienced an overload failure, followed immediately by the right. As the right main gear collapsed, it tore a portion of the right wing fuel tank wall loose, and a large volume of fuel was released into the wheel well. As the right wing settled to the asphalt surface, a massive fire broke out, which ultimately consumed the aircraft. It was later determined that the pilot had made only four landings in a tailwheel equipped aircraft in the last year, none of which were in the make and model he was flying at the time of the accident. It was further determined that the pilot attempted the landing in a tailwind of approximately five knots.
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 6,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 25, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 17, 2001; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PWT Bremerton WA at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 6,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from KPWT
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.