Amateur-built Mustang II accident near Auburn, Indiana, September 21, 2006
On September 21, 2006 at about 7:55 pm local time, a amateur-built Mustang II, registered N44DX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, Indiana. 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 failure of the left main landing gear attachment weld which resulted in the pilot's inablility to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2006 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Mustang II
- Registration
- N44DX · no longer on the register · serial 431
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged during a ground loop while landing on runway 09. The pilot reported he had been practicing touch and go landings and that the accident occurred on the 11th landing of the flight. He reported the airplane touched down and was rolling out on the centerline when it suddenly veered to the right. He reported he was unable to straighten out the heading and the airplane traveled off the side of the runway into the grass. The local winds were from 090 degrees at 4 knots. Inspection of the airplane revealed the weld which attached the left main landing gear strut to the airframe had failed.
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: 495 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GWB Auburn IN at 5:30 pm
- Destination: GWB Auburn IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N44DX 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.