Waco ARE accident near Battle Creek, Michigan, June 22, 2003
On June 22, 2003 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Waco ARE, registered N20953, was substantially damaged in an accident near Battle Creek, Michigan (W K Kellogg 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate material used in the landing gear cross supports leading to its collapse during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2003 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Battle Creek, Michigan · W K Kellogg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco ARE
- Registration
- N20953 · registry record · serial 5080
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with the runway during landing roll. The pilot reported that weather was clear with winds variable at 5 kts and was not a factor. The pilot stated, "Ground roll continued, aircraft came to the left a bit, inputted a little right rudder to correct. At this point, there was a sudden and strong learch forward. Aircraft quickly came to a stop on the runway, near centerline. Aircraft came to rest in pitched down, left wing low attitude with the left lower wingtip on the ground. ... Upon walking around the airplane, found the left main gear had collapsed and swung completely under the forward fuselage and rested against the right main gear." A post-accident inspection revealed that the left main gear cross-support had failed. An examination revealed that the landing gear cross supports did not show any apparent pre-existing conditions. The metal evident in the exposed crack areas did not have any signs of rust. Subsequent to the accident, the pilot determined that the cross support material used in the landing gear structure was not in accordance with the original design specifications. The original drawings on file at the Smithsonian Institute showed that the original wall thickness was greater than the failed material. The pilot stated that the airplane was repaired using the wall thickness specified in the original drawings.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,176 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,028 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 1902
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 2003; 39.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs L6MB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1H0 St Louis MO at 1:15 pm
- Destination: BTL Battle Creek MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 10,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from BTL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI03LA177.