Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG accident near Chatham, Massachusetts, November 30, 2025
On November 30, 2025 at about 10:18 pm local time, a 2006 Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG, registered N1294P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Chatham, Massachusetts (Chatham Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 failure to attain a proper touchdown point while landing with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in a long landing and subsequent runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 2025 · about 10:18 pm local time
- Place
- Chatham, Massachusetts · Chatham Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG, built 2006 · all LC41-550FGs on the register
- Registration
- N1294P · registry record · serial 41660
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane was established on a straight-in nighttime visual approach. During landing, he observed that the runway was wet from recent rainfall. After touchdown with a right quartering tailwind, the airplane encountered a gust of wind and became airborne. The airplane stayed airborne for a few hundred feet before touching down again. The pilot subsequently applied the brakes; however, the airplane overran the end of the runway, continued down a grassy slope and impacted the perimeter fence, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Landing area overshoot during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Awareness of condition
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 443 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 443 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 9, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,581 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 2025; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors TSIO-550-C (piston); 1,581 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ILM Wilmington NC at 7:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 3,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from CQX
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCQX 302152Z AUTO 17008KT 10SM OVC043 09/07 A3014 RMK AO2 RAE2055B12E27
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 ERA26LA059.