Amateur-built Lancair Legacy accident near Parowan, Utah, October 18, 2008
On October 18, 2008 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Lancair Legacy, registered N151HT, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Parowan, Utah (Parowan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot failed to secure the canopy prior to takeoff, resulting in his inability to control the aircraft during the takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment from prescription medications and possible obstructive sleep apnea.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2008 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Parowan, Utah · Parowan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Lancair Legacy
- Registration
- N151HT · no longer on the register · serial L2K-267
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During departure, witnesses in the area reported that the airplane appeared unusually low and then entered a left turn. As the airplane entered the turn, items from the cockpit fell from the airplane. The airplane continued in the left turn until it impacted the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. The airplane, by design, does not have a cockpit indication for the security of the canopy. Structural documentation of the canopy latching mechanism did not reveal any damage to the latching mechanism, which is indicative of it not being latched when the airplane impacted the ground. Based on post-mortem toxicology results, the pilot had likely recently used two different prescription painkillers that commonly result in impairment, and that may increase risk of seizure, particularly when used together. Based on his height and weight, poorly controlled blood pressure in spite of the use of at least two different medications to lower it, and the presence on autopsy of right-sided heart enlargement, he likely had obstructive sleep apnea, a condition associated with fatigue and cognitive impairment. His response to a real or perceived emergency may have been impaired by the medications themselves, by a seizure induced by the medications, or by the effects of possible obstructive sleep apnea. The pilot did have a single blocked small coronary artery, but the condition had been present and evaluated just over two years prior to the accident, with evidence of good blood flow in spite of the blockage. It is unlikely that the blockage was related to the accident. The pilot had not indicated high blood pressure, use of medications to treat high blood pressure, or use of prescription painkillers on his most recent application for airman medical certificate just over 16 months prior to the accident.
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 initial climb defining event
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Incorrect use/operation
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Prescription medication › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Cognitive limitation › (general) › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 22, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 70 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 11, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1L9 Parowan UT at 7:55 pm
- Destination: VGT North Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from CDC, 17 miles away
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.