Amateur-built ROSE PARRAKEET accident near Castroville, Texas, September 7, 2013
On September 7, 2013 at about 2:00 pm local time, a amateur-built ROSE PARRAKEET, registered N1732, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Castroville, Texas (Castroville Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the left main landing gear wheel on landing due to overstress, which resulted in the pilot’s loss of directional control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper decision to install wheels with insufficient loading capacity for the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2013 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Castroville, Texas · Castroville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ROSE PARRAKEET A4C
- Registration
- N1732 · registry record · serial SBB032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that, during the landing roll, the left main landing gear wheel fractured. The experimental-homebuilt airplane subsequently veered off the runway and flipped over. Postaccident examination of the fractured left main wheel revealed that the wheel failed due to overstress of the cast aluminum alloy; no evidence of preexisting cracks was observed. According to the pilot, the wheel had accrued only 11.4 hours since he had installed it, and it had about 15 cycles (landings) at the time of the accident. The wheels installed on the airplane were designed for ultralight aircraft that have an empty weight of less than 254 pounds. The accident airplane weighed about 954 pounds and would have required wheels with a higher loading capability.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear/wheel fairing › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Wheel/ski/float › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,500 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 11, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,045 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotec R2800 (piston); 11 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CVB Castroville TX
- Destination: CVB Castroville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 4,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.