- Date
- April 19, 2020, 11:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Merritt Island, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N855SHLancair Super ES
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA / FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200419001249A
- Case key
- 101184
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain a stabilized approach and improper landing flare, which resulted in a porpoised landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
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.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while on the final approach to land, the airplane may have been a little fast. When the airplane touched down on the runway, it porpoised, which resulted in the separation of the nose landing gear. The airplane then veered off the runway onto grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the airplane reported that, while on the final approach to land, the airplane may have been a little fast. When the airplane touched down on the runway it porpoised and resulted in separation of the nose gear. The airplane impacted the runway surface and veered off the runway onto the adjacent grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N855SH
- Reported as
- Lancair Super ES
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 059
- Built
- 2020
- Airframe hours
- 26
- Engine
- Continental IO-550N, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sarah Henderson
- Registered owner
- Sarah Henderson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 20, 2020
- Departed
- COI · Merritt Island, FL
- Destination
- COI · Merritt Island, FL
- Airport
- COI · Merritt Island, runway 29, 3,601 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Data recorder
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.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 27, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,575 total · 24 in this make and model · 1,304 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- COF, 8 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 5, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.