Cessna S550 accident near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, March 19, 2025
On March 19, 2025 at about 6:45 pm local time, a 1985 Cessna S550, registered N627HS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (Hilton Head 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 2025 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hilton Head Island, South Carolina · Hilton Head · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna S550, built 1985 · all S550s on the register
- Registration
- N627HS · no longer on the register · serial S550-0072
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 19, 2025, about 1445 eastern daylight time, a Cessna S550 airplane, N627HS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The airline transport pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the airplane departed from Conway-Horry County Airport (HWY), Conway, South Carolina, and the enroute portion of the flight was uneventful. The pilot subsequently established the airplane on a stabilized approach to Hilton Head Airport (HXD), Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Upon selecting the landing gear to the down position, the three green gear safe lights illuminated, and he continued the approach. After touchdown, the nose gear collapsed as it contacted the runway. The pilot felt a bump, heard scraping, and as the airplane slowed, he turned to exit the runway. Initial examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the nose landing gear actuator was fractured. The landing gear bay and surrounding structure was ground down into the airframe with associated bucking. The nose landing gear actuator was retained for further examination.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,849 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 4, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 16,300 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Tecs Zeltzer Elliot LLC
The flight
- Departed from: HYW Conway SC at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 03/2, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from HXD, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KHXD 191850Z 18007KT 10SM CLR 21/09 A3004=
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 NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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 ERA25LA165.