Lancair Company LC42-550FG accident near Okeechobee, Florida, September 16, 2012
On September 16, 2012 at about 3:14 pm local time, a Lancair Company LC42-550FG, registered N6512Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Okeechobee, Florida (Okeechobee County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2012 · about 3:14 pm local time
- Place
- Okeechobee, Florida · Okeechobee County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lancair Company LC42-550FG · all LC42-550FGs on the register
- Registration
- N6512Y · no longer on the register · serial 42016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner stated that he was conducting an experiment to see where on the runway the airplane would touch down using RNAV/GPS guidance. He said he became preoccupied with the instrumentation in the airplane, landed hard, and did not realize that he had done "serious damage" to the airplane. Examination of a video recording submitted by a witness revealed two high-speed, shallow approaches to the runway. On the first approach, the airplane traveled well past the normal touchdown zone at a high rate, touched down briefly, and then climbed back into the traffic pattern. On its second approach, the airplane crossed the runway threshold at a high rate of speed, a low altitude, and at a shallow approach angle. The airplane then struck the ground in a flat attitude, the nose landing gear separated from the airframe, and the propeller struck the runway. The airplane then pitched up, the engine noise increased, the tail struck the runway, and the airplane climbed at a shallow angle. The airplane subsequently collided with containers and vehicles in a commercial lot about one-half mile from the departure end of the runway. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,820 hours in all; 1,145 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 876 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 3, 2012
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Global Governments INC
The flight
- Departed from: F45 West Palm Beach FL at 2:40 pm
- Destination: OBE Okeechobee FL
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 14, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from OBE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N6512Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ERA12CA564.