Sabreliner Corp. NA-265-60 incident near Birminghham, Alabama, December 26, 2003
On December 26, 2003 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Sabreliner Corp. NA-265-60, registered N124DC, was involved in an incident near Birminghham, Alabama (Birmingham 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 lack of lubrication of the right main wheel bearing which resulted in the overheating.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 2003 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Birminghham, Alabama · Birmingham · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sabreliner Corp. NA-265-60
- Registration
- N124DC · registry record · serial 560-5132
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After landing at the Birmingham International Airport, Alabama it was discovered that the right main wheel was missing off of the landing gear assembly. Further examination of the right main wheel revealed that the bearings had failed and the wheel passed over the axle assembly. The Birmingham Flight Standards District Office of the Federal Aviation Administration requested assistance with the metallurgical examination of the right main landing gear bearing assembly. Examination of the outer bearing revealed temperature exposure and severe rubbing. The examination of the bearing assembly also revealed that no grease or lubricant was present on the fragmented pieces of the bearing.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,450 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,708 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 30, 2003; 6,708 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 20,302 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney JT-128N (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAV Savannah GA at 3:30 pm
- Destination: BHM Birmingham AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 9,351 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.38 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from BHM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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.