Cessna 190 accident near Enterprise, Alabama, September 5, 1999
On September 5, 1999 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 190, registered N9872A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Enterprise, Alabama (Enterprise Municipal 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 fatigue failure of the main landing gear spring.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 1999 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Enterprise, Alabama · Enterprise Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 190 · all 190s on the register
- Registration
- N9872A · no longer on the register · serial 7574
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After approximately one hour of pleasure flying in the local flying area, the two pilots returned to the departure airport for a full-stop landing. After touchdown, the airplane had rolled several hundred feet, when the pilot felt an unusual sensation in the airframe. At approximately the same time, the left spring leaf landing gear assembly separated from the airframe, and the airplane fell to the ground. The field examination of the fracture face disclosed evidence of a preexisting fracture in the steel material. During the follow-up examination of the fracture face, with the aid of a bench binocular microscope, revealed the presence of at least three small fracture areas typical of fatigue cracking. The origin of the fatigue cracking was damaged during the ultimate separation. The examination also disclosed that the fatigue origin was located in an area that showed fretting damage.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,500 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 14,000 as pilot in command; 8,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,790 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 1999; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 67W (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EDN at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 31,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from DHN, 35 miles away
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.