Amateur-built Lancair 235 accident near Medina, Ohio, December 13, 2005
On December 13, 2005 at about 7:15 pm local time, a amateur-built Lancair 235, registered N290DM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Medina, Ohio (Medina Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing due to an icy runway. Factors to the accident were the ice/snow contaminated runway surface, snow bank, and the pilot's lack of familiarity with the accident airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2005 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Medina, Ohio · Medina Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Lancair 235
- Registration
- N290DM · registry record · serial 156
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll the airplane impacted a snow bank situated alongside the runway and subsequently nosed over. The pilot reported that the runway was contaminated with snow and ice patches. The pilot stated that after touchdown the airplane "immediately began drifting toward the left side of the runway." The pilot reported that he attempted to correct for the drift using right rudder but "lost directional control" and departed off the left side of the runway. The pilot reported that he had 11 hours of flight experience in the airplane and the "runway conditions were much more than I was capable of handling with this aircraft." The accident airplane was equipped with a free-castering nose landing gear and directional control is maintained by differential braking when the rudder becomes ineffective at lower speeds.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 309 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 277 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RYY Atlanta GA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 1G5 Medina OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 3,556 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.