Lancair Legacy crashes near Watsonville, CA

Aviation Aviation News
1

Missed this on the news until today.

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_13848752

Must have been VFR, no track on FA.

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 7JX Make/Model: EXP Description: LEGACY
Date: 11/21/2009 Time: 2120

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
City: WATSONVILLE State: CA Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS
FATALLY INJURED, 5 MILES FROM WATSONVILLE, CA

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: KWV 1212053Z AUTO 18004KT 10SM CLR 13/06 A3010

OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER

FAA FSDO: SAN JOSE, CA (WP15) Entry date: 11/23/2009

2


from DiamondPilots N7JX Lancair Legacy

Pilot had reported an in flight fire within the engine compartment, and as is often the case, the pilot was attempting beyond all odds of returning to the airport. As is often reported ‘He almost made it’, I’ve read the same accident reports over, and over again.

Another accident over the weekend, Cherokee N345AT also was attempting an emergency landing and crashed after reporting an in flight emergency, was attempting to land on a road, when it crashed into trees short of the road.

Story and video

3

Actually he wasn’t trying to return to the airport, he was trying to make an emergency landing there after losing the engine due to fire.

That video is classic, beginning with the intro “after losing ONE of his engines” and such gems as “as the plane hovered 5000 feet above the ground”.

4

He radioed the Oakland Airport.

5

N7JX back in April:

My condolences to the friends and family of the pilot.