Normally working at ANN is a ball… but on days like this one, it just plain sucks...

ANN regrets having to report that Chelton employees Grant Bailey (formerly a Lancair staffer), and Barry Boepple were killed in a landing accident Tuesday, October 15th. Chelton staffer Nate Calvin survived the accident and has a broken leg as well as numerous smaller injuries; his recovery prognosis is excellent.

The aircraft, N599L, started working as a Lancair factory demonstrator several years ago and was recently raced at Reno by Dave Morss, who finished second in Sport Class this year, to another Lancair. The aircraft was doing duty for Chelton at the time of the accident, when it was being used to drop Calvin off at a private airstrip east of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Lancair Factory Statement

Lancair, International released the following statement late Wednesday afternoon:
"With heavy hearts, Lancair International reports that two people were killed and one injured Tuesday morning when an experimental Lancair IV (seen right), left the runway and crashed into a stand of nearby pine trees upon landing at a short mountain airstrip near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Killed in the accident were pilot Grant Bailey, a former Lancair International employee who was flying the aircraft on business for his current employer Chelton Flight Systems (formerly Sierra Flight Systems) and passenger Barry Boepple, also a Chelton employee.  Right seat passenger Nate Calvin, another Chelton employee, escaped the crash with a leg fracture and relatively minor cuts and abrasions.  Calvin was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

An eyewitness account of the accident reports that the aircraft drifted right, touching down on the small private airstrip with its right main wheel off the side of the runway.  The soft pea gravel shoulder of the runway is lower than the pavement and slopes away from the tarmac.  The wheel apparently caught in the gravel and the aircraft veered off to the right of the runway, where it sheared off several large nearby pine trees and subsequently broke up. Bailey and Boepple were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Lancair International and Chelton Inc. are working closely together, perfecting Chelton's advanced avionics systems for light aircraft.  Officials from both companies flew to the scene immediately after hearing of the accident.  Based on the facts reported at the scene, the FAA has already released the wreckage.

Bailey and Boepple were beloved by everyone who knew them.  Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to all."

Bailey was flying a slow, nose-high approach into the private strip in order to get into the limited confines available. The reduced approach visibility may have contributed to the off-center landing. Unfortunately, the subsequent impact resulted in extensive damage to the left side of the aircraft, which resulted in the fatal injuries to Bailey (seated left, front) and Boepple (seated left, rear). Lancair President Lance Neibauer pronounced Bailey "an excellent pilot," but admitted that shorter unimproved strips such as that involved in this accident "...leave little room for deviation."

News reports indicate that the L-IV's "...wingtip struck a tree. The plane spun around, hit a stand of pine trees and broke in half." The L-IV's fuselage impacted inverted, about 50 feet east of the runway with the tail, separated, about 30 feet behind it. Both wings were sheared off and a wingtip was found "lodged about 6 feet high in a pine trunk."

ANN extends its heartfelt sympathies to Grant and Barry's families and friends as well as other members of the Chelton and Lancair families... 
[ANN thanks the Coeur d'Alene Press for the lead photo.]

**   Report created 10/17/02   Record 7   **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 599L        Make/Model: LNC4      Description: LANCAIR 4
  Date: 10/15/2002     Time: 1630
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
  City: COEUR D'ALENE   State: ID   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES,  3 POB/2 SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, 1 SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, COEUR D'ALENE, ID
INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:  1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   Y
                 # Pass:   2     Fat:   1     Ser:   1     Min:   0     Unk:   Y
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
WEATHER: METAR KSFF 151553Z VRB03KT 10SM SCT200 03/M01 A3023 RMK A02
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: UNK                         Dep Date:    Dep. Time:
  Destination: PRIVATE STRIP 5 SE C     Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: N
  Last Radio Cont: OE
  Last Clearance: RADIO 15 SE COE
  FAA FSDO: SPOKANE, WA  (NM13)                   Entry date: 10/16/2002

FMI: www.sierraflightsystems.com, www.cheltonflightsystems.com, www.lancair.com