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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 2025 · about 10:18 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Chatham, Massachusetts · Chatham Muni · cases near this airport · 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Airplane Impacted Perimeter Fence
Photograph 2 – Right Wing Leading Edge Puncture Damage
Photograph 4 – Left Wingtip 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 May 21, 2026. 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 | Investigation Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Surveillance Video of Landing | video | 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
- N1294P on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41 207 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Columbia Aircraft Mfg 269 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors TSIO-550-C 479 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Chatham Municipal · nearest airport
- Wilmington International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Massachusetts 987 since 1982 · 90 in the last ten years
- Massachusetts 2,646 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA26LA059.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.