Amateur-built LANCAIR 235 accident near Mcminnville, Oregon, October 28, 2013
On October 28, 2013 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1990 amateur-built LANCAIR 235, registered N25DM, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Mcminnville, Oregon (Mcminnville Municipal 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 airplane control while intentionally performing maneuvers in an effort to troubleshoot a landing gear malfunction.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2013 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mcminnville, Oregon · Mcminnville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LANCAIR 235, built 1990
- Registration
- N25DM · no longer on the register · serial 36
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While performing practice touch-and-go takeoffs and landings, the pilot made a radio transmission on the UNICOM frequency stating that he was having trouble with the landing gear position indicators; only two of the three landing gear lights were illuminated. The pilot asked a pilot who was in a helicopter hovering at the airport to look at the landing gear's position while he performed a low-level pass over the runway. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to about 20 to 40 ft above ground level (agl) as he passed over the runway, and the helicopter pilot told him that all of the landing gear appeared to be extended. The pilot stated that the observation was confusing because it conflicted with the landing gear lights, which indicated that the right gear was not in the down-and-locked position. The pilot then stated that he was going to gain some altitude and manually retract and extend the landing gear in an attempt to reset the lights. He departed from the traffic pattern to the northeast and made no further communications; shortly thereafter, several grunts were heard over the radio. Numerous witnesses reported that they observed the airplane flying about 300 ft agl and then enter a loop maneuver and subsequently descend toward a house in a steep nose-low attitude. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot was attempting to lower the landing gear by intentionally performing unusual maneuvers during which he inadvertently lost control of the airplane. The pilot had poorly controlled diabetes, but the investigation was unable to determine if this degraded his ability to safely operate the airplane during the intentional maneuver and, therefore, whether his diabetes contributed 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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,620 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-290G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MMV Mcminnville OR at 7:15 pm
- Destination: MMV Mcminnville OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MMV, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.