What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 09, 2025, at 15:18 LCL the PIC departed Lancaster pa airport (klns) runway 26 on a planned flight to springfield oh (ksgh). Upon rotation and liftoff the right front door popped open. The PIC retracted the landing gear and called the control tower to request a return to land due to the door being open. The control tower cleared the PIC to land on any available runway. The PIC replied, "I will make a downwind and land on runway 26". The PIC started a left crosswind turn at an altitude of approximately 200' AGL. Video footage from a nearby building shows the aircraft in a slow nose high attitude. The aircrafts right wing dropped followed by a left wing drop in a steep decent. The aircraft contacted tree tops and smaller trees before impacting the ground. The aircraft slid into a parking lot striking several parked cars and erupted in flames. The 5 persons on board were able to escape the aircraft. The aircraft and several cars were consumed by fire. The PIC and one passenger were critically injured, the other three passengers received minor injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 09, 2025, AT 15:18 LCL THE PIC DEPARTED LANCASTER PA AIRPORT (KLNS) RUNWAY 26 ON A PLANNED FLIGHT TO SPRINGFIELD OH (KSGH). UPON ROTATION AND LIFTOFF THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR POPPED OPEN. THE PIC RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR AND CALLED THE CONTROL TOWER TO REQUEST A RETURN TO LAND DUE TO THE DOOR BEING OPEN. THE CONTROL TOWER CLEARED THE PIC TO LAND ON ANY AVAILABLE RUNWAY. THE PIC REPLIED, "I WILL MAKE A DOWNWIND AND LAND ON RUNWAY 26". THE PIC STARTED A LEFT CROSSWIND TURN AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 200' AGL. VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM A NEARBY BUILDING SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT IN A SLOW NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFTS RIGHT WING DROPPED FOLLOWED BY A LEFT WING DROP IN A STEEP DECENT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED TREE TOPS AND SMALLER TREES BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT SLID INTO A PARKING LOT STRIKING SEVERAL PARKED CARS AND ERUPTED IN FLAMES. THE 5 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT AND SEVERAL CARS WERE CONSUMED BY FIRE. THE PIC AND ONE PASSENGER WERE CRITICALLY INJURED, THE OTHER THREE PASSENGERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.