Accident Overview
On November 28, 2023, at approximately 1828 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Lancair 235, registration N235N, was substantially damaged during a landing accident near Stuart, Florida. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that about five months before the accident, the airplane experienced a landing gear anomaly. The landing gear would not extend via the normal procedure, requiring the pilot to use the emergency extension procedure to land uneventfully. Following that event, a mechanic found that a hydraulic pump had failed due to a leak in the nose landing gear actuator. The actuator was replaced and the pump was overhauled.
Accident Flight
During the accident flight, the pilot attempted to extend the landing gear but did not receive a green cockpit indicator for the nose gear. He conducted the emergency landing gear extension procedure. During an airport flyby, ground personnel confirmed that the nose gear was extended, and the pilot subsequently performed a soft-field landing. However, the nose landing gear collapsed upon runway contact. The airplane veered left, struck a taxiway sign, and came to rest upright in a grassy area to the left of the runway.
Examination Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and noted substantial damage to the left wing. Extensive streaking of hydraulic fluid was observed on the lower left section of the airplane and the empennage, beginning at the area between the fuselage and left wing root and flap.
Following recovery, a mechanic further examined the wreckage. The left main landing gear strut had separated during the accident. The landing gear hydraulic pump operated normally, and the downlock switches were electrically operational. The hydraulic fluid reservoir was found to be low, approximately 25% full, consistent with a hydraulic leak. However, due to impact damage, the mechanic could not determine the source of the leak or fully test the landing gear system.