# NTSB ERA25LA298: Paschal JR Roy E Velocity XL RG, N7778M, Columbia, SC, August 12, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: August 12, 2025, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC) - Place: Columbia, SC - Coordinates: 33.941175, -81.124996 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9412&lon=-81.1250&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 20, 2025 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 200777 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA298 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200777/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200777 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA298 ## Probable cause A landing gear collapse during landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Paschal JR Roy E VELOCITY XL RG, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=05630QB), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Paschal JR Roy E VELOCITY XL RG, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=05630QB), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the pilot, he was selling the experimental amateur-built airplane and delivering it to the new owner at the time of the accident. During the landing roll, the airplane’s retractable main landing gear collapsed, followed by the nose landing gear collapsing a few seconds later. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom of the fuselage. After the accident, aircraft recovery personnel lifted the airplane and all three-landing gear came down and locked into place. A mechanic then placed the airplane on jacks in a hangar and cycled the landing gear handle to the up position. The main landing gear raised and locked into place. The nose landing gear started to retract but the actuator was bent from impact and did not cycle all the way up. The landing gear handle was lowered to the down position, and the main landing gear came down and locked into place. The nose landing gear came down and locked into place. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were identified with the airplane during the examination. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7778M](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7778M), registered now, S/N 3RX095, built 2011 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PASCHAL JR ROY E VELOCITY XL RG - Registry model: [Paschal JR Roy E VELOCITY XL RG](https://openairdocs.org/model/paschal-jr-roy-e-velocity-xl-rg) (registry code 05630QB) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41585, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 3RX095 - Year built: 2011 - Airframe hours: 508 - Engines: LYCOMING IO 540 SER 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, January 7, 2025 - Departed: FXE, Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: CAE, Columbia Metro Airport, runway 11, 8,601 × 150 ft, concrete - Equipment: ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 19, 2025; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 676 total, 220 in this make and model, 676 as pilot in command, 16 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 30° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,800 ft broken - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 75 °F - Altimeter: 30.09 inHg - Observed at: CAE - METAR: KCAE 121734Z 03004KT 10SM BKN018 BKN024 BKN200 29/24 A3009 RMK AO2 T02940244 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20250812015479A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250812015479A), Aug 12, 2025: Paschal Jr Roy E VELOCITY XL RG, West Columbia, SC, Substantial damage. Pilot took off from fort launderdale executive airport (fxe) landed on runway 11 at Columbia metropolitant airport (cae) at approximately 1330 on 12 July 2025.… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 20, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200777. 10.5 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19473572&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120.1_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Video - gear test (70 seconds, mov, 8MB) (item 2, MOV, 8.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19473776&FileExtension=mov&FileName=Video-Rel.mov - Investigation photographs (item 3, PDF, 6 pages, 688 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19562538&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigative%20Photosv1-Rel.pdf - Release of aircraft wreckage, NTSB form 6120.15 (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 60 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19473484&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Release-of-Wreckage_Redacted-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.