CEN27FA006

NTSB accident investigation · Lancair IV · Haslet, TX · October 7, 2026

Accident · FatalClass 3 · FieldPreliminary report
Date
October 7, 2026, 09:52 local (14:52 UTC)
Place
Haslet, TX
Injuries
1 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N5SVLancair IV
Defining event
Takeoff: Unknown or undetermined
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Investigation ongoing
Investigation class
Class 3
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA North Texas FSDO
Case key
203959

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Preliminary report

What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.

On October 7, 2026, at 0952 central daylight time, an Lancair IV-P airplane, N5SV, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Haslet, Texas. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 91 personal flight. A review of commercially available Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed that the flight departed Hicks Airfield (T67), Fort Worth, Texas, about 0951. ADS-B data showed that the airplane climbed to 875 ft mean sea level (msl) before it entered a left turn. The airplane climbed to 1,000 ft msl and slowed to 84 kts ground speed before it descended (Figure 1) Figure 1. N5SV Flight Track The airplane impacted power lines along the south side of a roadway. Fragments of composite propeller, fiberglass, and acrylic pieces were found under the power lines. An impact ground scar started about 3 ft from the north edge of the roadway and continued about 6 ft into an adjacent ditch. An impact crater along with fiberglass debris were located in the bottom of the ditch about 20 ft southwest of the main wreckage. Fire damage to grass and vegetation was observed upslope from the crater. The main wreckage came to rest upright on the north side of the ditch. It consisted of the fuselage, both wings, engine, and portions of the propeller. The fuselage was aligned along a true heading of 304°. A postimpact fire consumed a majority of the main wreckage. The horizontal stabilizer and elevator assembly separated from the aft fuselage and came to rest against a brick privacy wall north of the main wreckage. The vertical stabilizer and rudder assembly also separated from the aft fuselage and came to rest at the same privacy wall. The empennage exhibited no evidence of thermal damage. The wreckage was transported to a secure location for further examination.

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Aircraft

Registration
N5SV
Reported as
Lancair IV (P)
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
LIV-375
Built
2000
Airframe hours
782.1
Damage
Destroyed
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Plane Metrics LLC
Registered owner
Plane Metrics LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Condition · August 26, 2026
Airport
T67 · Hicks Airfield, runway 14, 3,740 × 60 ft, asphalt
Equipment
ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 57 °F
Altimeter
30.05 inHg
Observed at
KAFW, 6 nm away
METAR
METAR KAFW 071453Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 24/14 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP163 T02390139 53017 $