20251124019629I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Gatschet William C LEGACY L2K 177 · El Cajon, CA · November 24, 2025

Date
November 24, 2025 · 11:30 local
Place
El Cajon, CA
Airport
Gillespie Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N201BL
Reported as
Gatschet William C Legacy L2K 177
Reported engine
Continental IO-550 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
691 total70 in this make and model23 in the last 90 days

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.

On November 24, 2025, at 11:30 PST, privacy data omitted was approaching runway 27R at Gillespie Field Airport (ksee) for landing. At approximately 3-4 miles out, privacy data omitted was setting up for the final approach when the pilot noticed the aircraft was a little high and he reduced power. Once the aircraft was approximately 1,500 feet above ground level (AGL), the pilot stated he attempted to add power, but the aircraft did not respond. The pilot then recognized that the engine had lost power. He stated that he ran the emergency checklist from memory: flaps up, mixture full-rich, and throttle at idle, attempting to restart the engine. However, the engine still did not respond.

At that point, the pilot realized he was on short final approach. The aircraft was approximately 500 feet AGL, and the pilot focused on landing the aircraft. The pilot stated the winds were calm. He brought the flaps up to reduce drag and pitched for the best glide speed (vg), which was 120 knots. The aircraft touched down short of the runway on the first chevron before the threshold. The aircraft sustained a hard landing at approximately 80 knots. The pilot stated he touched down on the left main gear first and then firmly on the right main gear. During the roll-out, he realized there was damage to the right main landing gear. As the aircraft departed the runway to the right during the roll-out and ended up in the grass area approximately 30 yards from the runway, coming to a full stop. The pilot did not sustain any injuries, but the aircraft sustained minor damage. If any addtional information becomes available this report will be amended.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 24, 2025, AT 11:30 PST, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS APPROACHING RUNWAY 27R AT GILLESPIE FIELD AIRPORT (KSEE) FOR LANDING. AT APPROXIMATELY 3-4 MILES OUT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SETTING UP FOR THE FINAL APPROACH WHEN THE PILOT NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT WAS A LITTLE HIGH AND HE REDUCED POWER. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), THE PILOT STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO ADD POWER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RESPOND. THE PILOT THEN RECOGNIZED THAT THE ENGINE HAD LOST POWER. HE STATED THAT HE RAN THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST FROM MEMORY: FLAPS UP, MIXTURE FULL-RICH, AND THROTTLE AT IDLE, ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE STILL DID NOT RESPOND.

AT THAT POINT, THE PILOT REALIZED HE WAS ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL, AND THE PILOT FOCUSED ON LANDING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THE WINDS WERE CALM. HE BROUGHT THE FLAPS UP TO REDUCE DRAG AND PITCHED FOR THE BEST GLIDE SPEED (VG), WHICH WAS 120 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY ON THE FIRST CHEVRON BEFORE THE THRESHOLD. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED A HARD LANDING AT APPROXIMATELY 80 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED HE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR FIRST AND THEN FIRMLY ON THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. DURING THE ROLL-OUT, HE REALIZED THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT DURING THE ROLL-OUT AND ENDED UP IN THE GRASS AREA APPROXIMATELY 30 YARDS FROM THE RUNWAY, COMING TO A FULL STOP. THE PILOT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES, BUT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. IF ANY ADDTIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED.