Jan. 08, Portland, Ore. / Pacific Aviation Composites LC 40-550FG

At approximately 18:12 PST, a Pacific Aviation Composites LC 40-550FG, the Lancair Columbia prototype, crashed into the Columbia River about one mile west of Portland International Airport while on approach to runway 10L. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The two people aboard were killed. The flight originated from Bend, Ore., about one hour before the accident. The pilot contacted Portland Approach and reported that he was 25 miles east of Portland International and requested IFR clearance for landing at PDX. The flight was cleared for the ILS runway 10L approach. During the first approach, the aircraft was lined up for runway 10R and the tower instructed the flight to go around to the north. The pilot was given vectors for the runway 10L approach. On the second approach the aircraft was bracketing the runway 10L localizer and descending, when the aircraft dropped off radar coverage about one mile west of the runway.