Amateur-built LANCAIR EVOLUTION accident near Phoenix, Arizona, March 18, 2021
On March 18, 2021 at about 9:27 pm local time, a 2015 amateur-built LANCAIR EVOLUTION, registered N469KS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Phoenix, Arizona. 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
A malfunction of the main cabin door latching mechanism for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2021 · about 9:27 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LANCAIR EVOLUTION, built 2015
- Registration
- N469KS · registry record · serial EVO-0058
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while climbing through 22,000 ft mean sea level on a cross-country flight, the main cabin door departed the airplane. The pilot immediately diverted and landed uneventfully at a nearby airport. The door was not recovered. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers sustained substantial damage due to impact from the door as it departed the airplane. The kit manufacturer reported two previous door failures that had prompted the issuance of an inspection advisory to inspect the door for cracks. This inspection was not performed on the accident airplane; however, postaccident examination revealed no damage to the hinges and door latch anchors, all of which were still connected at the frame. Because the door was not recovered and could not be examined, the reason for its separation could not be determined based on the available information.
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Malfunction
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,106 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,025 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 14, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 638 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 17, 2020; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-135A (turboprop); 637 hours total
- Operator: Cc Aircraft Sales LLC
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 9:14 pm
- Destination: OKB Oceanside CA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from KGYR, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGYR 182147Z 00000KT 10SM SKC 26/M02 A3003
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on September 15, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Excerpt from Airplane Service Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Evolution Aircraft Door Latch Advisory - April 20, 2021 | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Inspection Advisory Nov 13 2020 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.