Amateur-built Lancair IVP Turbine N751HP accident near Mckinney, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to attain the proper touchdown point during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with terrain and a vehicle.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that while in cruise at flight level (FL) 250, the airplane sustained a sudden loss of pressurization. He descended the airplane to 10,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and continued to his planned destination. He had not previously landed at the destination airport, so he performed a touch and go landing “to see the field,” and then flew a standard traffic pattern for landing. On the downwind leg the ball on the top of the power lever unscrewed and the pilot continued the approach. The pilot reported the airplane touched down in the first 500 ft of the runway without a float or a bounce in ground effect. He immediately “hit [the] brakes gently” and maintained the runway centerline. For about 5 to 10 seconds, the pilot unsuccessfully attempted to move the power lever into beta-reverse and applied maximum braking; however, the brakes faded, and the stopping power decreased. The airplane subsequently exited the end of the runway, went through an airport perimeter fence, and struck a moving vehicle on a roadway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing.

A review of a cellular telephone camera video provided to the National Transportation Safety Board showed that the airplane touched down near the midpoint of the 3,002 ft runway, bounced and touched down again. Tire skid marks were observed about 200 ft beyond the runway’s midpoint and continued for about 1,300 ft until the airplane exited the runway surface. Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) and avionics data showed the airplane’s groundspeed was between 96 and 99 knots and the flaps were extended to 40° during the final approach.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded a normal landing. Although the power lever ball top unscrewed, the power lever functioned normally between full power and reverse settings.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN24LA037 for the full record.