Aviat Husky accident near Dayton, Tennessee, January 11, 2003
On January 11, 2003 at about 10:10 pm local time, a Aviat Husky, registered N415JB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dayton, Tennessee (Mark Anton airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 maintain directional control during landing roll which resulted in a loss of control and collision with a ditch. A factor was separation of the spring clip from the landing gear steering system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 11, 2003 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Dayton, Tennessee · Mark Anton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat Husky
- Registration
- N415JB · registry record · serial 1463
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he had been conducting touch-and-go landings. During the third landing the airplane veered to the right during the landing roll. According to the pilot the airplane drifted approximately 75 feet. Efforts by the pilot to correct the right drift of the airplane failed. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway into a ditch. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing had spar damage. The post-accident examination of the airplane revealed the left rudder cable was not attached to the butterfly ring on the tail wheel. The spring clip that connects the rudder cable to the butterfly ring was found approximately 20 feet from where the airplane touched down on the runway. The pilot stated that the main landing gear wheel braking system was operational.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 305 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 114 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 2, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 105.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2002; 22.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2AO Dayton TN at 9:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from BNA, 120 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N415JB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.