Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Lancair Evolution, N704AK; fatal accident occurred June 16, 2021 -and- Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP, N6026P; accident occurred June 14, 2011

 Dr. Antenor Velazco, his wife Dr. Kathleen Hartney-Velazco and their canine companion, Mali. 


This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Denver, Colorado
Lancair Owner & Builders Organization; St. Louis, Missouri 
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation 

AKV Aviation LLC

Location: Parker, CO 
Accident Number: CEN21FA272
Date & Time: June 16, 2021, 13:45 Local 
Registration: N704AK
Aircraft: ANTENOR VELAZCO LANCAIR EVOLUTION 
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On June 16, 2021, about 1345 mountain daylight time, a Lancair Evolution, N704AK, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Parker, Colorado. The two private pilots sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

Air Traffic Control information showed the pilot was established on the RNAV (GPS) runway 35R approach to Centennial Airport (APA), Centennial, Colorado, when he contacted the air traffic control tower about 7 miles south of the airport. The tower controller issued the wind conditions to the pilot and cleared the airplane to land on runway 35R. The airplane was about 2.6-miles from the end of the runway when the controller queried the pilot if he was executing a 360° turn, to which the pilot advised that the airplane had lost its autopilot capabilities. A nearby airplane reported to the controller that it had the airplane in sight, and then saw it impact powerlines, and subsequently the terrain. A postimpact fire ensued that consumed most of the composite airplane.

A postaccident examination at the scene showed evidence that the airplane had impacted two east-west running transmission static lines, that were strung between two transmission towers.

The transmission towers had flashing lights mounted on their tops and the wires between the towers were marked with multi-colored marker balls. The accident site was at an elevation of 6,270 ft msl. The airplane came to rest about 200 ft due north of the powerlines at an approximate 50° incline, and 3.40 miles from the approach end of runway 35R on a heading of 336°.

The wreckage was recovered for further examination. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: ANTENOR VELAZCO 
Registration: N704AK
Model/Series: LANCAIR EVOLUTION
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KAPA,5883 ft msl 
Observation Time: 13:53 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 4 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 34°C /1°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 9 knots / , 350°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.21 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Neosho, MO (EOS)
Destination: Centennial, CO (APA)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: On-ground
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: On-ground
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 39.507794,-104.85518 (est)

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.


Dr. Antenor "Andy" Velazco
March 22, 1948 - June 16, 2021


Dr. Kathleen "Kathy" Joan Hartney-Velazco
September 11, 1955 - June 16, 2021
~

Dr. Antenor “Andy” Velazco, MD., 73, and Dr. Kathleen “Kathy” Hartney-Velazco, MD., M.M.SC., 65, died June 16th, 2021, in a private plane crash near Centennial, CO. Mali, their faithful 2-year-old Belgium Malinois, was also killed in the crash.

Andy— husband, father, grandfather, surgeon, ultramarathoner, triathlete, pragmatist, adventurist.

Andy was born March 22, 1948, in Lima, Peru, to Dr. Antenor Velazco and Elisa Castro. Andy came to the US when he was 16. He attended the University of Southern Mississippi where he excelled.  He enjoyed reading all the course work early and asking the professor to give him the final exam on the first day of class. His professor once told the class that Andy outdid them, without even speaking English!

Andy returned to Peru in 1970, where he studied at the Universidad Nacional Mayor De San Marcos. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree, graduating in the top 10% of his class. While in Peru, Andy first became a father. Son Geoffrey Antenor was born in 1970. His is daughter Kristin Elisa was born in 1976. Andy worked at a Pediatric Orthopaedics and Spine clinic in Peru until 1978.  After her birth, Andy and family returned to the US where he completed his surgical internship and residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA.

As an Emory Resident, he met Kathy. She thought he was cute. One day he asked if she was going to a coworker’s party, and she said, “Yes.” He said: “Good. Then I’ll go too.” Family lore is that he sat next to her at the party and put his hand on her knee. The rest is history.

For much of his career, Andy worked as an orthopedic surgeon and hand and spine specialist. He was affiliated with Henry Medical Center in Stockbridge, Spalding Regional in Griffin, and Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, GA. He lectured and organized seminars on orthopaedics, sport injuries, unstable pelvic fractures, and more. He authored multiple publications, papers, and editorials. At Atlanta restaurants, former patients would recognize him and tell his family how he had saved their life. Even if he didn’t remember their names, he always remembered their ailments and treatments.

When he retired from Resurgens Orthopaedics at the age of 65, Andy founded Orthopaedic Solutions with partner Dr. Radhakrishnan V. Nair. Andy continued to practice for the next 8 years and retired at the end of March 2021.

Kathy— wife, mother, boss doc, entrepreneur, fashionista, runner, athlete, all around bad ass.

Kathy was born September 11, 1955, in Bethesda, Maryland, to Dr. Thomas and Georgia Hartney. Her father was a physician in the U.S. Navy who retired to Tampa, FL, in 1967. Kathy’s love of water sports grew from water-skiing on Lake Carroll.

Kathy came to Atlanta in 1973 to attend Emory University. She graduated college in 1978, Magna cum Laude with a B.S. in Chemistry. She initially worked as a Computer Programmer in Emory’s Data Processing Department. In 1978, she earned her Master of Medical Science with a specialty in Anesthesia from Emory.

Following her Masters, Kathy worked full-time as an anesthetist at Grady Memorial Hospital. Never one to rest on her laurels, in 1981 she matriculated to the Emory University School of Medicine. While in medical school, she worked as a Physician’s Assistant in Anesthesia and was on the Emory Faculty from 1981-82. She married Andy in 1982, gave birth to her first daughter, Kari Dyan, in 1984. Also in 1984, Andy and Kathy bought a land lot on Lake Spivey and began building their forever home. It became the site of many great parties and family gatherings, creating wonderful memories for multitudes of people over many years.

Kathy received her Doctor of Medicine degree in 1985 from Emory University while pregnant with her second daughter, Katie Dawn. Kathy specialized in Outpatient Surgery Anesthesia and Pain Management during a fellowship year. Always multitasking, Kathy gave birth to Alec Bryant in 1988 and completed her residency in Anesthesiology in 1989. She worked as an anesthesiologist at South Fulton Medical Center in Atlanta for the next four years.

In 1993, Kathy founded Capitol Anesthesiology, P.C., to meet the needs of the ambulatory surgery patient (forming companies when she saw an unmet need became her forte). In 1996, Kathy was recruited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and became a surveyor in their ambulatory division.

Over the next several decades, Kathy was affiliated with multiple medical and surgery centers across Georgia. When asked if she ever planned to retire, her immediate answer was: “Nope.” She loved what she did, and she excelled in every endeavor.

Andy and Kathy— an example of love for four decades.

As a couple, many people said there were no two people better suited for each other. Both the eldest children of doctors, they were fearless and tenacious in everything they did. It was this trait that made what happened outside of their careers nothing short of amazing.

Andy raced, in cars and on foot. When he first moved to the US, he would say that he wanted to be successful enough to buy a Ferrari. He bought his first in the early 1980s, and we believe this drove his love for speed. He drove Ferraris, Lotus Sevens, Formula Fords, and Formula Mazdas; he raced in multiple series and had over 16 podium place finishes. The pinnacle of his career culminated in 1996 when he won first place in the South Atlantic Road Racing Championships at Road Atlanta and finished 3rd overall in the 1996 Regional Championship.

Andy picked up running in 1986 when a friend dared him to run a 10K. This turned into a passion for long-distance racing. His first marathon was the 1991 New York City Marathon (time 4:36:36). In his lifetime, Andy ran over 350 marathons and 100 ultramarathons. He lured Kathy into running with him by promising her they would travel and that he would buy her a charm for every state they ran in. The joke would be on him, as Kathy finished a marathon in all 50 states five years after he achieved the same feat. What started as a marathon charm bracelet turned into a charm belt as Kathy went on to finish more than 100 marathons. Their running took them around the world, their children and Kathy’s siblings joining them for many races over the years. Andy ran the Disney marathon 28 years in a row, one of the few people who had an unbroken streak since the Disney marathon was founded. He was passionate about running and the science behind it, researching and writing articles for several prominent running periodicals.

Andy’s top running accomplishment was completing the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, CA. This elite 135-mile road race is in one of the hottest locations on earth and spans from the lowest evaluation to the highest in North America. Badwater is one that very few people finish. It requires intense training for both the heat and the elevation. In 2003, Andy successfully completed the race with a time of 48:51:13. He returned to Death Valley many times over the years to serve on the crew for various running friends, helping them achieve the same success.

When asked what goal he wanted to tackle next, Andy said: “I would like to complete an Ironman. But first, I need to learn how to swim.” Eleven months later, Andy completed his first Ironman.

While Kathy joined Andy on many of his races, she also had her own passions. She was an avid tennis player until tennis elbow forced her to tackle another sport. Being a business owner, Kathy took up golf as she knew many business relationships happen on the golf course. As she always strove for perfection, she began reading all she could, took lessons, was often found at the golf range, and eventually played at over 50 courses around the country.

Andy and Kathy’s next pursuit took them off the ground. Andy had always been fascinated with flight. When he told Kathy he wanted to learn how to fly, she started working towards her pilot license also. She had grown up watching the Blue Angels with her family and had herself been interested in pursuing a career as a pilot from a young age. Over the next 13 years, they spent countless hours in the air. Andy loved the challenge of flying, and Kathy loved visiting more people and places. They each attained various levels of airplane and instrument ratings. Never one to stop at mid-level, Kathy was in the process of getting her commercial’s pilot license.

Andy and Kathy were easily the most interesting people in any room. They alpine skied, scuba-dived, sky-dived, and shot guns at the range. They exercised daily, often out-running or out-doing their children who they often cajoled into exercising with them.

Andy was known for his sarcastic wit, crazy stories, and fanatic exercising. He would do one-handed pushups in the break room between surgeries. He could often be found with a book in his hand or taking ‘micro naps’ without missing a thing.

Kathy had a magnetic personality and loved fiercely. Kathy could light up a room with her smile and vivacious personality. She drew people to her and had an infectious laugh. She treated everyone around her the same, regardless of their walk of life. Her fashion sense and passion for Louis Vuitton became the stuff of legends, as she almost always wore a LV purse with matching belt and shoes. In her honor, the Louis Vuitton’s Lenox Mall store threw her a 50th birthday party! She was known for her generosity and always wanted to share everything she had, including Peloton bikes, with the people she loved.Their lives were interrupted and left unfinished. Andy had just started a hobby of woodworking and was reading a book about how to grow bonsai trees. Kathy was planning their next trips to visit more family and was so excited about her future grandchildren.

Their family and friends are heart-broken.

They are survived by their children: Geoffrey Antenor (Becky) Velazco of CA., Kristin Elisa (Tina Riedel) Velazco of CA, Kari Dyan Velazco of Smyrna, Katie Dawn (Mayghan McPherson) Velazco of MD and Alec Bryant Velazco of CA., granddaughter: Juliet Velazco of CA., and extended family members. Dr. Andy Velazco is also survived by his brothers: Fernando (Mary) Velazco and Alberto (Cecilia) Velazco all of Peru, sister: Gabrielle (Lance) Wyant of MD. Dr. Kathy Hartney-Velazco is also survived by her brother: Dr. Thomas (Judy) Hartney of Augusta, sisters: Mary (Jeff Titus) Hartney of FL., Carol Hartney Blomgren of FL., Karen (Jeff) Lambert of FL and Dr. Anne (Dr. Mark) Baucom of Atlanta.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Andy and Kathy at a memorial service on July 3, 2021, between 1-4 pm, at Eagles Landing Country Club in Stockbridge, GA.

In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to: BRCA Strong, https://brcastrong.org/, City of Hope Duarte, CA, 1-800-826-4673, http://www.cityofhope.org/ or FORCE, 1-866-288-7475, https://www.facingourrisk.org/ in Memory of Dr. Antenor “Andy” Velazco and Dr. Kathleen “Kathy” Hartney-Velazco.

“Injuries have been always the price of doing stuff, and life without stuff probably would be boring.” – Andy Velazco


Kathleen and Antenor Velazco

Dr. Antenor Velazco, MD

June 16, 2021 
Lancair Evolution, N704AK


LONE TREE, Colorado — Two people who died in a small plane crash in Douglas County on Wednesday have been identified as a 65-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man, officials said.

Kathleen Velazco and Antenor Velazco, both from Jonesboro, Georgia, died in the crash, which happened south of Ridgegate Parkway in Lone Tree.

The Douglas County Coroner's Office identified the victims.

The Federal Aviation Administration said a Lancair Evolution hit power lines and crashed shortly before 2 p.m. while on approach to Centennial Airport.

The crash sparked a brush fire in the area, but South Metro Fire said crews had gotten a handle on the blaze and were being careful around the downed lines until the charge was mitigated. A helicopter dropped water on embers to prevent the fire from sparking again, according to Kim Spuhler, a spokesperson for South Metro Fire.

This is the second crash involving planes on approach to Centennial Airport in five weeks. On May 12, two airplanes collided as they tried to land at the airport. One of the planes landed safely despite suffering severe damage and another used a parachute to land in a field at Cherry Creek State Park.


June 14, 2011
Cessna 172S, N6026P

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Atlanta, Georgia 

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:


Location: Covington, Georgia
Accident Number: ERA11CA343
Date & Time: June 14, 2011, 14:24 Local
Registration: N6026P
Aircraft: Cessna 172S
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight 
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

Analysis

According to the solo student pilot, the purpose of the flight was to practice takeoffs and landings. He departed his home airport, and flew a short distance to practice at the accident airport where he completed six uneventful takeoffs and landings. The pilot then configured the airplane for a short field takeoff and applied takeoff power. He said the airplane lifted from the runway at 50 knots, he pushed the nose down, and the right wing "suddenly lifted up." The airplane diverted 45 degrees to the left of the runway and the pilot elected to abort the takeoff.

During the aborted takeoff the left wing and left main landing gear struck the ground and the airplane rotated 180 degrees. The airplane came to rest facing opposite the direction of travel, with the left wing separated, and a postcrash fire ensued. After the accident, the pilot reported that there were no deficiencies with the performance and handling of the airplane.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.

Findings

Aircraft Directional control - Not attained/maintained
Personnel issues Incorrect action performance - Student/instructed pilot

Factual Information

History of Flight

Takeoff Loss of control in flight (Defining event)
Takeoff-rejected takeoff Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Student
Age: 63, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None 
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None 
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: June 16, 2010
Occupational Pilot: No 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 142 hours (Total, all aircraft), 142 hours (Total, this make and model), 10 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 58 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 35 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N6026P
Model/Series: 172S 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture:
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal 
Serial Number: 172S10204
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: May 11, 2011 Annual 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2550 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 12 Hrs 
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 1972 Hrs as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: IO-360-L2A
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 180 Horsepower
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: LZU,1062 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 22 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 14:45 Local 
Direction from Accident Site: 360°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 8000 ft AGL 
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 10 knots / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /
Wind Direction: 290° 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /
Altimeter Setting: 29.95 inches Hg 
Temperature/Dew Point: 32°C / 13°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Covington, GA (9A1)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Covington, GA (9A1)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 
Type of Airspace:

Airport Information

Airport: Convington Municipal Airport 9A1 
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 809 ft msl 
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 28 IFR
Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5500 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: None

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None 
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: On-ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 33.62611,-83.841667(est)


COVINGTON, Georgia  — A small plane registered to a Gainesville company crashed Tuesday afternoon at the airport in Covington, but the student pilot escaped uninjured.

Jonesboro resident Antenor Velazco, 63, was practicing takeoffs and landings in a Cessna 172 around 2:30 p.m. when he lost control and crashed in a ditch near the runway at Covington Municipal Airport, according to airport engineer Vincent Passariello. Velazco, the only person in the aircraft, is an orthopedic surgeon for Resurgens in Henry County.

Covington police detective Daniel Seals told The Covington News Velazco was finishing up work on his pilot's license Tuesday, going east to west down the runway.

"During one of the touch-and-gos, (he) lost control of the aircraft," Seals said. "He went off the runway, spun around at least once, came to rest, caught on fire. He was able to get out, which is good. The aircraft obviously now has been put out."

The right wing detached during the crash, causing the plane to catch fire, but the blaze was extinguished by firefighters, Passariello said.

Because the plane was destroyed, the investigation will be handled by the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said.

The aircraft was owned by Wheeler Equipment Leasing in Gainesville, but it is advertised as available for rental on the website of Lanier Flight Center, which is located at Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport in Gainesville. Airport officials said the plane was rented at Peachtree-DeKalb Airport.

Lanier Flight Center officials declined comment Tuesday as they said they are working to put out accurate information.

Passariello said Velazco had 143 hours of flying experience, according to his logbook.

76 comments:

  1. N704AK was making a left 360 back to final (for some reason).
    A final data point in ADSB Exchange shows the rate of descent suddenly increasing to -2,944 ft/min.

    Links:

    ATC AUDIO - Lancair Evolution Plane Crash N704AK at Denver Centennial Airport
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE368dl7VFE

    ADSB Exchange
    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=39.511&lon=-104.864&zoom=15.0&showTrace=2021-06-16&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    --d4a

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know people with Lancair aircraft. They all say it takes thousands of feet to recover from a stall with them. Not a plane to be fooling around with at low level. The pilot did a 360, sounded confused on the recording so maybe he stalled it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I too think the pilot sounded confused--and/or tired--and stalled the aircraft.
      Condolences to all.
      --d4a

      Delete
    2. The man on the radio wasn’t flying. His wife was. They shared duties. Whoever flew, the other handled the radio.

      Delete
  3. The people on the flight were Dr. Antenor Velaso,73, a retired orthopedic surgeon, and his wife, 63 was an anesthesiologist. They both practiced in Georgia; they were,each,licensed pilots.

    ReplyDelete
  4. There ATC radio transmission indicates pilot distraction with an auto pilot issue during the approach.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anyone have full payware access to FlightAware? The free version only has 5 available flights, including this one which originated from Atlanta (HMP or the airport next to Atlanta Motor Speedway) to southwest Missouri (EOS) for a fuel stop.

    Did the doctor ever have high altitude airport operation experience? On top of that it has been hot in Denver the last few days in the mid-90s. As we all know that raises density altitude and reduces aircraft lift performance, which greatly increases bank angle stall speeds.

    I truly hope that's not the case. If so, if this was the first time he ever flew into high altitude airport operations being a closer to sea level southeast based pilot, it would be so needlessly tragic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He previously flew into Centennial Airport August 15, 2020 and back out on August 23, 2020.

      Close up of that approach, with speeds and altitudes:
      https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=39.528&lon=-104.871&zoom=12.5&showTrace=2020-08-15&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

      Full track view:
      https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=37.159&lon=-98.017&zoom=4.7&showTrace=2020-08-15&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

      https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=37.159&lon=-98.017&zoom=4.7&showTrace=2020-08-23&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

      Walk the date backwards in adsbexchange from August 2020 and there are two more trips into Centennial.

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. It is sad that your observation is spot on. When I was a newly minted pilot,
      always sleeping in my Corvair, or on the FBO's vinyl couch, in 1971, in Dalton, GA (DNN). I was witness to a few "doctors with Bonanzas" episodes.
      The best was a surgeon from Chattanooga who overflew DNN at about 10:00PM. His name was Juergens, or something. I actually flew with him a few times and considered him to be a "dead man walking."
      His arrogance was palpable. Because I was not a doctor, my suggestions relating to his flying meant nothing. It was said by a few that he only operated when wearing white wingtip shoes, period. When he flew over DNN one fateful night, I listened as he talked to Chattanooga departure. The weather was somewhat soupy and there was no moon; a dark night indeed. His last transmission was an inquiry. He wanted to know if Chattanooga departure showed him as being upside down. You may fill in the blanks.

      Delete
    2. He was doing an unrequested, unauthorized AFTER being cleared to land. The controller asks "what are you doing?" Who does that? Someone with a "rules don't apply to me" kind of attitude. I am sorry for the loss and that justs amazes me.

      Delete
    3. Could have been going around for any number of reasons post clearance and had not yet gotten around to letting ATC know as he/she was busy flying the aircraft... aviate, communicate.

      Delete
    4. Just going around from what I can see - Aviate, Communicate.

      Delete
  7. Started descent too early, he was about 900ft lower at same point than the trailing 172, and definitely below glideslope. Pilot realizes something is up and starts turning dials, beginning an AP L 360. ATC is now on him while he's trying to stop his descent, he sounds desperate to salvage a path back to final, but the hilly terrain appears in front of him and we hear him being overwhelmed. Stalls out maneuvering out of the chute, but it's too low and too late. Hot and high with gusty tail winds up a chute on that final turn.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lancair EVOT is powered by a Pratt and Whitney PT6. EVO as in Evolution, T as in turbine. Stall speed flaps down is 61kts. Stall speed clean is 76 kts. Wings level. He was in a turn. The last return is 190' AGL (ish). Airport elevation is 5,885'. That's high altitude if your a flatlander but nothing special as far as landing is concerned. In that aircraft I doubt if it was much of a concern for takeoff. DA as I type this is 8,908'. The left turn really tightened up at the end. Did they both let AP problems distract them to the point of flying it into the ground?. They were both pilots. Again, the last data point was 6,225' at 111kts, 190' above field elevation. According to Foreflight the powerline that he hit was a high voltage transmission line with a tower height of 190'AGL (6,409'). I forget how much droop the high voltage lines have. It's quite a bit. If you pit the last lat / lon into Google Earth the last point is about 200' north of the wires (yes, they show up on Google Earth).

    I have no way of knowing this for sure but it looks to me like, for whatever reason, he flow a 1.5 million dollar aircraft and his wife into a high voltage transmission line (not on purpose of course).

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancair_Evolution

    Article from Flying: https://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/turboprops/lancair-evolution/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The man on the radio wasn’t flying. His wife was. They shared duties. Whoever flew, the other handled the radio. She was a very good pilot and just passed her commercial testing.

      Delete
    2. Correction, replace he with they or she. A lot of very good pilots make mistakes. It sounds like these were two very good people that will be sorely missed. Rest in peace to them and condolences to their family.

      Delete

  9. 2017 LANCAIR EVOLUTION
    Experimental/Homebuilt Aircraft
    Price:USD $1,300,000

    Purchase today for
    USD $6,690.22 / monthly*


    Interesting......this plane is still listed for sale in Jonesboro, GA....pilots home base.

    Aircraft Location:
    Jonesboro, Georgia
    Serial Number:EVO-070
    Registration #:N704AK
    Total Time:340
    Engine Notes:PT 6 135A 340 hrs SMOH

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is nothing strange about this at all. According to the registration, the Evolution kit was built, and owned by the pilot. Guess he just decided to sell it at some point. The contact info listed is his wife Kathleen.
      The A K in the tail # stands for Antenor, and Kathleen, both pilots.

      https://www.controller.com/listing/for-sale/198242327/2017-lancair-evolution-experimental-slash-homebuilt-aircraft?gtmlt=1&_ga=2.73804434.1606604510.1623888289-143404550.1595337093

      Delete
    2. Never said it was strange...just interesting.

      Delete
    3. So.. If a person builds a kit plane and at some point puts it up for sale that's interesting? I don't get your point.

      Delete
  10. 143 hours seems like a lot to get your private ticket and only 10 hours PIC?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 10 years ago. The aircraft he was flying is a turbine powered "kit" plane. one can accumulate a lot of experience in 10 years

      Delete
    2. @Mike - he was referring to the 2011 crash of the 172 shown here where the doctor had 142 hours of student solo time in it yet was still not signed off for private, nearly 3x the typical time needed for average pilots. On top of that, the report stated he only had 10 hours of PIC time meaning he was only a student solo pilot for the 10 hours of those 142 hours. That was a huge red flag on his piloting skills and learning, or lack thereof.

      Delete
    3. You can't have "142 hours of student solo time" and "10 hours of PIC time"
      If you are actually flying the aircraft "Solo" that is PIC time. You probably meant 142 hrs total time with 10 hrs of that being "Solo" time.

      Delete
  11. The pilot is listed as the manufacturer on the registration, with a 03/14/2018 certificate issue date. Not a newbie in the plane.

    He also flew into Centennial Airport August 15, 2020 and back out on August 23, 2020.

    Close up of that approach, with speeds and altitudes:
    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=39.528&lon=-104.871&zoom=12.5&showTrace=2020-08-15&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    Full track view:
    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=37.159&lon=-98.017&zoom=4.7&showTrace=2020-08-15&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=37.159&lon=-98.017&zoom=4.7&showTrace=2020-08-23&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    Here are some of his GA & FL home area flights:

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=31.118&lon=-83.224&zoom=7.2&showTrace=2020-08-26&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=33.416&lon=-85.413&zoom=8.4&showTrace=2020-12-01&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=33.055&lon=-84.770&zoom=8.6&showTrace=2020-12-05&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=32.776&lon=-84.402&zoom=8.6&showTrace=2020-12-10&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=30.918&lon=-83.213&zoom=7.1&showTrace=2020-12-19&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=30.918&lon=-83.213&zoom=7.1&showTrace=2020-12-20&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=30.918&lon=-83.213&zoom=7.1&showTrace=2021-01-09&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=30.918&lon=-83.213&zoom=7.1&showTrace=2021-01-10&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=30.918&lon=-83.213&zoom=7.1&showTrace=2021-02-20&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=30.918&lon=-83.213&zoom=7.1&showTrace=2021-04-14&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=30.918&lon=-83.213&zoom=7.1&showTrace=2021-04-17&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    ReplyDelete
  12. Compare his previous approach into Centennial Airport on August 15, 2020 with the accident flight by switching between viewing these two overlays that show altitude, speed and track at the power lines:

    2020:
    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=39.505&lon=-104.853&zoom=14.6&showTrace=2020-08-15&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    2021:
    https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a96374&lat=39.505&lon=-104.853&zoom=14.6&showTrace=2021-06-16&trackLabels&timestamp=1623872668

    ReplyDelete
  13. The approaches look almost identical until the point of the left turn on the more recent approach. Too much left roll trim upon autopilot disconnect?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Could be. I don't know how much torque roll a PT-6 would induce on such a light composite aircraft. I didn't look at the speed reduction profile as he was coming in from the east but if he "yanked it back" quickly enough, whatever roll force the AP compensated for would be gone and might be why the AP kicked off??

      Delete
  14. and a previous crash incident in 2011 he was a student pilot with 142 hours!!! that should be a red flag right there, when the national average is like 80 hours. his CFI should have had a talk with him way before that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To me 80 hours is still abnormally high. When I got my PPL back in the late 1980s, the Air Force Base civilian aero club flight school pumped out PPLs around 50 hours +/- five or ten hours based on skill (and the student's budget which if there were gaps of 30 days or more, the next lesson required remedial training time). I soloed at 13 hours and got the PPL at 47 hours including the 1 hour sign off check ride. For reference, I spent 14 months at that school just for PPL due to budget constraints limiting lessons and flights per month.

      Delete
    2. Admittedly, some of us are stuck in FAA medical certification hell. My CFI agrees that I should have soloed at ~12-15 hours and should have had my PPL sometimes last September but given the volume of applications and slowness of CAMI in OKC, I'm without a 3rd class and have 45+ hrs without a solo. For now...

      Delete
    3. You're not soloing because of your medical, you are not soloing because your instructor won't sign you off, and, apparently you can't fly. You need to ask your instructor directly why won't you sign me for solo? "I've got 45 hrs and haven't soloed yet" something's not right. better chose a different hobby.

      Delete
    4. Well said. Steven, please take up boating or biking. Not trying to be mean in any way just want you to go home at night. As poster says above, the government has nothing to do with your medical issuance or solo flight endorsement. That is done at your Doctor's office and the FBO; at the local level. If you don't know this, then clearly there is information overload already. Be careful out there.

      Delete
    5. The man on the radio wasn’t flying. His wife was. They shared duties. Whoever flew, the other handled the radio. She was an excellent pilot and passed her commercial testing.

      Delete
    6. A medical certificate is an FAA requirement prior to solo flight.

      Delete
  15. Not many pilots have an opportunity to wreck TWO planes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The man on the radio wasn’t flying. His wife was. They shared duties. Whoever flew, the other handled the radio. Don’t be rude!

      Delete
  16. Landing gear extension around that time would have created a distraction if he didn't get three greens. N704AK panel photos in for sale ads don't show a readily observable gear system hydraulic pressure display.

    Inadvertent hand-flown deviation into a turn could occur due to pilot focus on pumping the emergency extend handle, watching for green lights and instructing the right seater on how to reach a hydraulic pressure display on a sub-menu.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Only problem with that hypothetical is that both husband and wife were Instrument Rated pilots trained in this plane. You have a pilot and copilot that can split the activities so that one can focus on flying the plane.

      Delete
    2. Maybe they pulled an Eastern 401?

      Delete
    3. What the Hell is a Eastern 401?

      Delete
    4. Flight 401 crashed when crew failed to notice autopilot disconnect while they troubleshot a nosegear down indicator issue.

      Wasn't my comment, but the gist is maybe the EVO pilots did not notice the turn and lack of autopilot control until ATC alerted them.

      Delete
    5. Eastern 401: both pilot and copilot (and FE) fixated on a task; nobody flying the plane.

      Delete
    6. Pilots are welcome to fly the approach however they want, but best practice that most competent pilots follow is gear extension PRIOR to crossing the final approach fix. The final approach fix for the approach they were on is JIDOG, which they passed 3-4 NM before the accident. So it's unlikely they waited that long to extend the gear and notice an issue, unless there was a serious lack of ADM or following best practices.

      Delete
  17. Airplanes, like motorcycles, aren't for everyone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They had been successful pilots for 13 years. Don’t be rude. Malfunctions happen. Hope your airplane has better luck.

      Delete
  18. Gosh... if you crash a simple 172 at 100+ hours and still are a student pilot, nature (and everybody) should tell you to stop trying. For these reasons I hate the "inspiration" stories "old guy pilots plane after 10th try to get license" or "eventually got my license after kept on trying". We only deteriorate as we age, if you have trouble with the basics *after putting in your best for an extended period of time* perhaps should just focus your efforts on something you would be good at.

    There is a reason I haven't tried to become an olympic gymnast. I could try to do that forever and still suck, I'll stick to other things.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah -- after he destroyed the 172, maybe it was time to quit flying take up needlepoint, candle-making, tropical fish or something? ANYTHING but doubling down on a bad decision with a PT6-powered kit-built pressurized single.

      Delete
    2. The man on the radio wasn’t flying. His wife was. They shared duties. Whoever flew, the other handled the radio. She was an excellent pilot and just passed her commercial testing.

      Delete
    3. I'm guessing that by "passed her commercial testing" you mean she just passed her commercial written test, because if she passed her commercial checkride, it would be updated in the database at this point (being 6 months after the accident), but instead it just shows her private pilot certificate:

      KATHLEEN H VELAZCO
      Medical Information:
      Medical Class: Third Medical Date: 6/2020
      MUST WEAR CORRECTIVE LENSES.
      Certificates
      PRIVATE PILOT
      Certificates Description
      Certificate: PRIVATE PILOT
      Date of Issue: 5/17/2011

      Ratings:
      PRIVATE PILOT
      AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
      INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE

      No offense, but the commercial written test is just 100 multiple choice questions and isn't that difficult to pass. I spent a couple days studying on Sheppard Air and passed mine with a 98% and definitely didn't feel it indicate that I had achieved any sort of commercial level flying skills. Passing your commercial checkride is by far the most difficult and stringent part of the "commercial testing" to get your commercial certificate.

      Delete
  19. I would think, from what I read, that the Lancair is about as hot and unforgiving non-military airplane that one can fly. They make a Cirrus look tame!

    ReplyDelete
  20. A nice C90 King Air or a Caravan would possibly have been a better choice for 2 wealthy Doctors. RIP....looks like a nice couple with maybe a "too Hot" airplane.

    ReplyDelete
  21. When you make your comments on here, please remind yourself that it could be you and your family could be the ones suffering. He was my father and the best man I know in this world. Also, he wasn’t the one flying. She was and she was an excellent pilot that had just passed her commercial testing. He never flew that plane. He handled the radio for her like he always does. Please have some respect.

    And thank you to the others that did have respect. I appreciated reading your opinions on what you think happened. I’m not a pilot and it helps me to try to figure out what went wrong.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well put. You’ll always have arm chair, less than experienced, pilot quarter backs that frequently forget, it’s a tragedy that they are commenting about. It’s a shame.
      My sincerest condolences. The take away from this crash, and most aviation tragedies, is that pilots are not immune from forces greater than their capabilities no matter what their experience or ratings. Sometimes it’s electronics or mechanical, sometimes it’s Mother Nature. In what ever case, the complexity of flying is one of little margin of error. To often we, or the faa conclude pilot error when, in fact the circumstances were at task saturation.
      Again, condolences to the family and friends of these two and their pet.

      Delete
    2. I am sorry for your loss.

      Some comments here are indeed insensitive; some downright rude.

      I, too, have lost friends to air crashes, and it is different when the subject of objective discussions of cause conflict with what we want to believe about our loved ones.

      Aviation is incredibly unforgiving; good pilots die (and take others with them) for the most trivial of errors.

      As proven by decades of statistics, the overwhelming majority of accidents are a result of human failure.

      Only by studying the failure modes of human behavior can a pilot begin to mitigate their own vulnerabilities. It is a pilot's duty to study accidents if the goal is to be as safe as humanly possible.

      That is why Kathryn's Report exists.

      Unfortunately, the price for others' safety is the lives of those upon whom these lessons are based. Even the "rude" comments have a basis in reality: most aviation accidents are preventable.

      In due time, the NTSB will produce a "Factual Report" on this accident. It will also be harsh to read if -- as appears most likely -- this crash was due to "pilot error".

      Delete
    3. I am very sorry for your loss and I'm very sorry that you had to read some of the stuff here. We want to know what happened because deep down inside we all know that we could one day do the same. Piloting an aircraft can seem simple. Takeoff and landing are the two most demanding things we do. Some days it goes like clockwork and we leave bruises patting ourselves on our back. Some days we hope nobody saw that landing. The recent Caravan/Paraglider midair shows that even straight and level flight can go wrong.

      By all accounts they were wonderful people and they will be sorely missed. My condolences to your and your family.

      Delete
    4. I was there that day, one of the dark figures on the hill in the videos. We got there as quickly as we could to try to help. I'm truly sorry for the lost this family has suffered and the people that worked closely with both of these doctors. It is futile to guess at conclusions that led to the departure of stabilized flight. Facts are, they were on approach to land, clipped power lines and crashed.

      To the aviators, draw your own lessons from this, build good habits, and teach the next generation. With accident investigation, we always look for the errors or the failures. This accident does not present the golden bb, so know and review your approach procedures, understand your AP (if equipped), and know your Section 3. Above all, practice, practice, practice. Knowledge and proficiency will keep you ahead of the aircraft.

      Delete
  22. Just a simple observation, in the past year we have lost what seems to be a high percentage of physicians in these aviation accidents, as compared to non physician fatalities. Is this a deepening trend for some reason? No judgement about their abilities or qualifications.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To answer this question we'd need to know what proportion of private pilots are physicians versus non-physicians, what the corresponding ratio is of GA hours flown, and whether those ratios have changed over time. I'm not sure how we'd uncover those statistics. Let me put it another way: in the past year we've seen a high percentage of male fatalities as compared to female fatalities. Is that meaningful? Well, no... there are just a lot more male pilots.

      Delete
    2. Exactly: meaningless (or misleading) statistics or observations:

      "Robinson helicopters are dangerous 'because more of them crash than any other helicopter'."

      "The plane was flying very low before it hit the ground."

      "The pilot is a hero because he narrowly missed a school and crashed in a field instead."

      "The engine was sputtering."

      ...and my favourite of all time:

      "The [Boeing 737] pilot was leaning out of the cockpit window waving at people to get out of the way."

      Delete
    3. Financial means has more to do with the proportion of doctors than pilots. Flying isn't cheap. Owning an aircraft is like owning a boat only the hole is in the air.

      Delete
  23. Another theory that hasn't been mentioned, but in reference to the statement
    "The airplane was about 2.6-miles from the end of the runway when the controller queried the pilot if he was executing a 360° turn, to which the pilot advised that the airplane had lost its autopilot capabilities."

    On some flight management systems, mistakenly activating the approach while already on the approach can cause the navigation system to go direct to the initial approach fix (in the case of RNAV (GPS) RWY 35R at KAPA, this would be the FIRPI fix, which would have been 9-10 miles behind them). Since they had already passed FIRPI, this would have commanded a 180 degree turn. If this wasn't initially noticed or understood, this may have seemed like an autopilot issue and the inclination may have been to continue on the turn as a 360 and resume the approach.

    I say this because this happened to me a few days ago on a G1000 equipped aircraft. We were uncertain if the approach was active and selected "activate approach" and the autopilot immediately started to do a 180 to go back to the initial approach fix. We noticed our mistake right away and quickly reconfigured it to go direct to the correct next approach fix before it had turned more than a degree or two. Had the autopilot appeared to have failed or was not performing correctly, we would have disconnected it and hand flown the approach, or if the approach had become unstable, immediately hand flown the missed approach procedure. In no circumstances would we have done a 360, which can be a very risky move on an instrument approach, especially if you are in IMC.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Excellent theory.

      Which is why situational awareness must be continuously maintained in order to effectively monitor and -- when necessary -- immediately reduce the level of automation.

      "What's it doing now?" has preceded many fatal accidents, and this question should be a trigger to assume manual control, and not fumble with the panel or let the electronics decide what happens next. Basic airmanship.

      Delete
    2. Interesting:

      https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/95604

      Delete
  24. Interesting:

    https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/95604

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting but unrelated. This accident doesn't look anything like a revenge sabotage job for being a whistleblower.

      Delete
  25. If your having a "autopilot problem", just fly the airplane. Your on a 2.5 mile final in great VFR weather. The runway was in sight. Just fly the airplane and land. I don't understand the "autopilot problem". Hit the disconnect, or overpower it. Pull the circuit breaker. Your in solid VFR conditions, the autopilot should not matter one bit. This is a small lighweight aircraft. We will never know what happened, sadly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Turns out this is one case where a missing fastener changed the expectation of we will never know what happened to here is exactly what happened. See final report that came out after your comment posted.

      Delete
  26. Factual report and docket are out.

    https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103276/pdf

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow. I didn't see that coming. That would have been very confusing...

      Delete
  27. Hmm. The deceased pilot (boss) owns the training company that signed her off, and said TRAINING COMPANY kept no training records?

    ReplyDelete
  28. The missing safety wire on both flap's actuation rod end fasteners that allowed one to work loose and cause the split-flap extension crash was probably diked off for the June 2019 paint work flap removals.

    The likelihood that a paint shop did not re-apply safety wire to the rod end fasteners would not be much of a surprise, but it should have been obvious that the safety wire was absent at the October 2020 annual inspection.

    If the couple ever performed the pilot's manual preflight instruction to extend the flaps and verify the rod attachment points, they may have lacked the understanding that unsecured fasteners in pivoting rod ends can work loose.

    Even so, the report noting that the area around the threaded hole was rubbed tells you that it was backed out of the threads for a while, which would have become very obvious as a prominently stood-off hex head as it backed out over time if they had been checking during preflights prior to the accident day.

    Such a sad and preventable cause. The detail of the as-found missing safety wire is quite clear in the material report photos, here:

    https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12924799&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=21-079-Rel.pdf

    ReplyDelete