20251113020849A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Perry William LANCAIR IV P · Savannah, GA · November 13, 2025

Date: November 13, 2025 · 19:50 local
Place: Savannah, GA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N163BR
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA26LA055
Reported as: Perry William Lancair IV P
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney T74-CP-700
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 467 total

N163BRRegistered now · Perry William LANCAIR IV PS/N 2007 · Built 2009 Airframe modelPerry William LANCAIR IV P Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The PIC stated that while in cruise flight at approximately 16,500 feet, he observed the sound of an explosion from the engine followed by sparks out of the engine exhaust stacks. He immediately declared an emergency to ATC and was given vectors to Savannah hilton head airport (sav) which was 19 miles away. He established his best glide speed, however at 2000 feet he realized that he could reach the airport and deployed the ballistic recovery system (brs) parachute. The landing gear was selected to extend following deployment of the parachute and collapsed upon landing. The aircraft came to rest on a municipal golf course. During the on-scene investigation, a hole was found in the engine turbine section and metal fragments were found inside the exhaust stacks.

A borescope inspection was performed which revealed numerous compressor turbine and power turbine blades fractured as well as signatures of overtemperature. The origin of the failure could not be determined.

As the FAA filed it

THE PIC STATED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 16,500 FEET, HE OBSERVED THE SOUND OF AN EXPLOSION FROM THE ENGINE FOLLOWED BY SPARKS OUT OF THE ENGINE EXHAUST STACKS. HE IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO ATC AND WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO SAVANNAH HILTON HEAD AIRPORT (SAV) WHICH WAS 19 MILES AWAY. HE ESTABLISHED HIS BEST GLIDE SPEED, HOWEVER AT 2000 FEET HE REALIZED THAT HE COULD REACH THE AIRPORT AND DEPLOYED THE BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM (BRS) PARACHUTE. THE LANDING GEAR WAS SELECTED TO EXTEND FOLLOWING DEPLOYMENT OF THE PARACHUTE AND COLLAPSED UPON LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE. DURING THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION, A HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE ENGINE TURBINE SECTION AND METAL FRAGMENTS WERE FOUND INSIDE THE EXHAUST STACKS.

A BORESCOPE INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED WHICH REVEALED NUMEROUS COMPRESSOR TURBINE AND POWER TURBINE BLADES FRACTURED AS WELL AS SIGNATURES OF OVERTEMPERATURE. THE ORIGIN OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA26LA055Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary reportSavannah, GAOn November 13, 2025, at 1949 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Lancair IV-P, N163BR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Savannah, Georgia. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The airplane was operated as…Nov 14, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N163BR · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20210421005519ILanding: Touchdown · Henderson, NVDuring second approach to land, winds were gusty aircraft contacted the runway in a hard landing situation.Apr 21, 2021 · Minor damage