Lancair IV-P | N5SV

The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the accident pilot did encounter a reduction of thrust on takeoff (ROTOT) from runway 14, and then did enter a level left hand turn in attempt to return to the departure airport. The accident aircraft completed one half of the turn and was unable to clear the powerlines located on the south side of the east/west highway, and impacted then impacted the embankment of the rising terrain located on the north side of the same east/west highway near 1800 West Bonds Ranch Road. The accident aircraft exploded upon impact. The NTSB was quoted as saying that “preliminary information indicates the pilot may have experienced engine issues and turned back toward the airport.” The Probable Cause of this accident is the accident Pilots incorrect decision to believe that the residual thrust remaining was sufficient to make it back to the departure airport, when it was not.

The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all aircraft rehearse and condition themselves to be ready for this for this AQP scenario, ROTOT. ROTOT is the most dangerous of all the possible AQP after takeoff scenarios as it leads the pilot into believing that while the engine is not running correctly, it is running enough to use it to make it back to the departure airport. Most of the time it is not, and if this accident pilot had completed one half of his turn and still had ample engine power, he would not have hit the power lines. The DTSB recommends to fly straight ahead, and make a wings level precautionary off field landing under control whenever a ROTOT scenario is encountered.