Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC42-550FG accident near Larned, Kansas, February 5, 2021
On February 5, 2021 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2007 Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC42-550FG, registered N115FP, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Larned, Kansas (Pawnee County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to allow sufficient time for the brakes to cool after a previous aborted takeoff, resulting in a runway excursion during a second aborted takeoff due to degraded braking performance. Contributing to the accident was the contact of the hot brakes with a dry grassy area during the second aborted takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 5, 2021 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Larned, Kansas · Pawnee County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC42-550FG, built 2007 · all LC42-550FGs on the register
- Registration
- N115FP · registry record · serial 42552
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot attempted two consecutive takeoffs from opposite runways. Both takeoffs were aborted because the airplane would not lift off from the runway. The pilot reported that the engine and flight controls were operating normally during both takeoff attempts. During the second aborted takeoff, the pilot reported that the brakes “faded,” and the airplane departed the end of the runway and entered a dry grassy area. The pilot then noticed that the left and right main landing gear were on fire; the fire resulted in structural damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the wheel and brake assemblies revealed no mechanical anomalies. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces, and the airplane was under its maximum gross takeoff weight. Thus, the reason that the airplane did not lift off during the pilot’s two attempted takeoffs could not be determined from the available evidence for this accident. The fire appeared to originate from the wheel brakes. The time between the two attempted takeoffs was about 15 minutes. The pilot reported that he applied intermittent braking during the first aborted takeoffs. Thus, the brakes likely faded during the second aborted takeoff because they were hot from the consecutive aborted takeoffs and did not have enough time to cool. The fire was most likely caused by the hot wheel brakes entering a dry grassy area after the runway excursion.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Damaged/degraded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 978 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 978 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 31, 2020
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: GCK Garden City KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,201 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 am from KGBD, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGBD 051756Z AUTO 29014KT 10SM CLR 08/M06 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP137 6//// T00831061 10089 21044 58007 PNO $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN21LA129.