Raytheon Aircraft Company 58 accident near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, October 25, 2016
On October 25, 2016 at about 1:00 pm local time, a 1998 Raytheon Aircraft Company 58, registered N600RV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Lancaster airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
A collision with deer on the runway during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 2016 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania · Lancaster · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon Aircraft Company 58 UNDESIGNAT, built 1998
- Registration
- N600RV · registry record · serial TH-1854
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the multiengine retractable landing gear airplane reported that during takeoff, two deer ran onto the runway as the airplane became airborne and that he heard and felt one of the deer hit the left main landing gear. He further reported that he diverted to an airport with an operating control tower, where he performed two passes in front of the tower, and was informed by tower personnel that it "appeared" that the left main landing gear was no longer "attached to the airplane". The pilot reported that he decided the best course of action was to land with the landing gear retracted, and on short final he moved the mixture controls to idle cut off, feathered the propellers, and turned both fuel selectors off. The airplane landed gear up and all persons on board evacuated immediately. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. In an email exchange with the Director of Operations of the flight company, he reported that there were no reported mechanical anomalies with the airframe or engine prior to the deer impact. The Federal Aviation Administration Chart Supplement airport page for the departure airport in part states: "Deer and large flocks of geese on and invof [in the vicinity of] arpt."
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,894 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 211 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 3,728 as pilot in command; 842 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 12, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,933 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,525 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor IO-550-C (piston); 2,113 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor IO-550-C (piston); 2,113 hours total
- Operator: Aero-Tech Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: LOM Philadelphia PA at 11:05 am
- Destination: LNS Lancaster PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 6,933 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KLNS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 10, 2017. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Email Exchange with Director of Operations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Photo (Provider Unknown) | 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.
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.