Pacific Aerospace CORP LTD 750XL accident near Warrenton, Virginia, May 9, 2014
On May 9, 2014 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2005 Pacific Aerospace CORP LTD 750XL, registered N750SS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Warrenton, Virginia (Warrenton Air Park airport). It was a skydiving 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and separation of the left main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2014 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Warrenton, Virginia · Warrenton Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pacific Aerospace CORP LTD 750XL, built 2005 · all 750XLs on the register
- Registration
- N750SS · registry record · serial 115
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the commercial pilot, following a skydiving operation, he returned to the airport. During the landing attempt and as the airplane was about 15 ft above ground level, the airplane banked left and the left main landing gear (MLG) then contacted the turf runway, so he immediately performed a go-around. Ground personnel subsequently contacted the pilot via radio to inform him that the left MLG had separated from the airplane. The pilot then performed an emergency landing, and, during the landing roll, the left wing contacted the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing spar. Examination of the left MLG revealed that three of the lower clamp's bolts were fractured, and an aft outboard bending moment was noted on the clamp piece. Fretting marks indicative of clamp movement were also noted. Although it could not be determined when the fretting occurred, it likely resulted from the initial hard landing. Further, several pieces of a polyurethane-based material were found within the left fuel tank. The fracture surfaces on these materials and on the left MLG bolts exhibited overstress damage consistent with a hard landing. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot improperly flared the airplane, which resulted in a hard landing and the subsequent separation of the left MLG.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,405 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 7,500 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7VG0 Warrenton VA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 7VG0 Warrenton VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,215 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from KHWY, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N750SS 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 ERA14LA235.