Socata TBM 700 accident near Wilmington, North Carolina, January 14, 2025
On January 14, 2025 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 2011 Socata TBM 700, registered N417KG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Wilmington, North Carolina (Wilmington Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a wing strike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2025 · about 7:15 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Wilmington, North Carolina · Wilmington Intl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Socata TBM 700, built 2011 · all TBM 700s on the register
- Registration
- N417KG · registry record · serial 579
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was attempting to make a soft landing for his passengers, lost too much airspeed in the landing flare, and the right wing stalled. The airplane landed hard and the right wing struck the runway resulting in substantial damage to the wing spar and right aileron. The pilot reported that there were 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
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 821 hours in all; 452 in this make and model; 73 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 821 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 7, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,909 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2024; 181 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,430 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A66D (turboprop); 2,090 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KORH Worcester MA at 4:22 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 7,754 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from ILM
Weather report (METAR): KILM 141953Z 30011KT 10SM CLR 12/M11 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP225 T01221106
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Right wingtip and aileron accident damage
Photograph 2 – Right upper wing accident damageThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 22, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N417KG on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Daher (Socata) TBM-700 TBM 700 through TBM 960 1,008 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: P&W PT6A66D 176 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Wilmington International · nearest airport
- Worcester Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,123 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA25LA099.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.