Lancair 235 N235N

Summary

On 28 November 2023 at about 23:28 local time, a Lancair 235 registered N235N was involved in an accident near Stuart, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 November 2023 at 23:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Stuart, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Whitman Field (SUA)

Coordinates

27.1817, -80.2213

Aircraft

Lancair 235

Registration

N235N

Category

Airplane

Year built

2012

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jacksonville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA24LA051

Nobody was injured.

A landing gear collapse due to a hydraulic fluid leak in the landing gear system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot attempted to extend the landing gear of the experimental amateur-built airplane, but did not receive a green light cockpit indication for the nose landing gear. He performed the emergency landing gear extension procedure and ultimately received a green light for the nose landing gear during an airport flyby, in which ground personnel observed that the nose landing gear was extended. The pilot subsequently performed a soft-field landing; however, the nose landing gear collapsed when it contacted the runway. The airplane veered left, struck a taxiway sign, and came to rest upright in a grassy area to the left of the runway. Examination of the wreckage revealed extensive streaking of hydraulic fluid on the lower left section of the airplane and the empennage beginning at the area between the fuselage and left wing root and flap. The left main landing gear strut had separated during the accident and could have been one source of hydraulic fluid on the empennage. The landing gear hydraulic pump operated normally when tested and the landing gear downlock switches were found to be electrically operational as well. The hydraulic fluid reservoir was found to be low (approximately 25% filled), consistent with a hydraulic leak; however, due to impact damage, the source of the leak could not be determined, nor could the landing gear system be fully tested.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.