Amateur-built VELOCITY XL RG accident near Columbia, South Carolina, August 12, 2025
On August 12, 2025 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 2011 amateur-built VELOCITY XL RG, registered N7778M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Columbia, South Carolina (Columbia Metro 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A landing gear collapse during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2025 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Columbia, South Carolina · Columbia Metro Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VELOCITY XL RG, built 2011
- Registration
- N7778M · registry record · serial 3RX095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was selling the experimental amateur-built airplane and delivering it to the new owner at the time of the accident. During the landing roll, the airplane’s retractable main landing gear collapsed, followed by the nose landing gear collapsing a few seconds later. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom of the fuselage. After the accident, aircraft recovery personnel lifted the airplane and all three-landing gear came down and locked into place. A mechanic then placed the airplane on jacks in a hangar and cycled the landing gear handle to the up position. The main landing gear raised and locked into place. The nose landing gear started to retract but the actuator was bent from impact and did not cycle all the way up. The landing gear handle was lowered to the down position, and the main landing gear came down and locked into place. The nose landing gear came down and locked into place. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were identified with the airplane during the 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 (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 676 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 676 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 19, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 508 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 7, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO 540 SER (piston); 600 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Ft. Lauderdale FL at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 8,601 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 1:34 pm from CAE
Weather report (METAR): KCAE 121734Z 03004KT 10SM BKN018 BKN024 BKN200 29/24 A3009 RMK AO2 T02940244
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 5 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 –Main wreckage
Photograph 2 – Airplane being lifted on runway, NOTE: landing gear down and locked
Photograph 3 – Damage to underside of airplane
Photograph 4 – Damage to underside of airplane
Photograph 5 - Damage to underside of airplaneThe 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 20, 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 | Video - Gear Test (70 Seconds, Mov, 8MB) | MOV file | Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 6 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N7778M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.