Accident Overview
On June 11, 2025, at approximately 2145 central daylight time, a Lancair 360 aircraft bearing registration N77LH was destroyed in an accident near Fort Stockton, Texas. The pilot, who held an airline transport pilot certificate, was uninjured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country trip.
Flight History
The pilot had recently purchased the airplane in California and was flying it to his home base in Florida. After a refueling stop at El Paso International Airport (ELP) in Texas, the airplane departed at about 1940 mountain daylight time. While en route to San Antonio International Airport, the pilot detected smoke in the cockpit. He contacted air traffic control and diverted to Fort Stockton-Pecos County Airport because of the emergency.
Emergency Landing
On approach to runway 12, the cockpit filled with smoke and flames became visible emanating from beneath the instrument panel. During the landing attempt, the pilot reported a loss of brake authority. The airplane veered left off the runway and came to rest upright against a barbed wire fence on the airport perimeter. The pilot evacuated the aircraft without further incident.
Aircraft Damage and Details
The post-impact fire consumed the engine compartment, part of the fuselage, and the left wing. The wreckage was later recovered and transported to a secure facility for examination.
The aircraft was an experimental, amateur-built Lancair 360, constructed from a kit in 1999. It featured composite construction and was powered by a Lycoming Engines O-360-A1A reciprocating engine. A condition inspection had been performed on both airframe and engine on June 9, 2025. At that time, the airframe had recorded 440.4 total flight hours, and the engine had 2,220.9 hours total time, including 911.9 hours since its most recent overhaul. Maintenance and build records, stored in the baggage compartment, were destroyed in the fire.