N321LC Lancair IV-P-Turboprop Crash-One Fatal.

[Doug Robertson]

N321LC crashed at Boise Air Terminal KBOI on Friday 3 Feb. 2012, killing the sole occupant. The 2007 Experimental aircraft was making a second takeoff attempt in the morning after returning in the pattern and subsequently trying soon later again to take off. The aircraft got a reported 100 to 200 feet in the air in the second attempt when it banked and presumably stalled and crashed between the runways. The aircraft was consumed by fire. The pilot's body was positively identified. In 2010 the FAA issued a Safety Advisory re this aircraft model regarding stall tendency in low speed maneuvering.

There are several photos of N321LC on this site. It apparently was powered by a Walter 601D turbine turboprop of 724 shp; see the typical turbine exhaust of this engine. The IV-P TP is a high horsepower complex aircraft with retractable gear and high stall speed.

Killed was the CEO of Micron Technology Corp. headquartered in Boise. This was his second aircraft crash. He survived an earlier accident doing aerobatics too close to terrain in another airplane and crashed. The final NTSB accident report on N321LC may take six months to be published.

[L-5jockey]

Doug
You are correct; engine in this baby was a Walters Diemech
Here's a link to a PDF spec Sales sheet for N321LC...

http://www.barnstormers.com/classified_files/6/0/2/5/3/6/602536-2007_Lancair_IV-PT_-_N321LC_Spec_Sheet_2.pdf


John

[Ztex]

Very sorry to hear this news...That was a beautiful airplane when I saw in here in Texas a few years ago.

Prayers go out to he pilot and family.

[Doug Robertson]

Thanks John,

Diemech is a Florida-based rebuilder/seller of the Walter turbine engine. He does some added stuff to improve the engine on rebuild, etc. We spoke with him at length at his exhibit-EAA AirVenture 2008.

Some news that year was that Walter in the Czech Republic and its sister company Prague Casting Services was purchased (certain assets) by General Electric in 2007, now Walter Aircraft Engines GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. Walter had delivered 4,500+ M601 turbine engines by 2007 of all versions used in 33 models of aircraft. Walter established in 1911 has been building aircraft engines since the 1920s. TBO of any M601 engine is limited by flight hours, equivalent cycles or calendar time up to 8 years, whichever comes first. Walter's exhibit in the Czech Republic aviation exhibit gave us a lot of freebie goodies.

The P&W(C) PT6A guys visited later at their EAA exhibit dissed Walter to us-probably a sign they didn't want/like any competition, however slight. The PT6A is the most reliable aircraft turbine in the business.