Piper PA-46-500TP incident near Fort Wayne, Indiana, November 18, 2006
On November 18, 2006 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-500TP, registered N4185L, suffered minor damage in an incident near Fort Wayne, Indiana (Smith Field). It was a business 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 fatigue failure/separation of the engine mount's nose gear actuator attachment foot, and the manufacturer's inadequate engine mount/nose gear actuator attachment design.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2006 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Wayne, Indiana · Smith Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-500TP · all PA-46-500TPs on the register
- Registration
- N4185L · registry record · serial 4697025
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that during landing at the conclusion of a personal flight, the airplane turned abruptly to the left and went off the side of the runway. The landing gear encountered muddy terrain, and the nose landing gear collapsed. Inspection of the nose gear support structure by an NTSB materials engineer disclosed that the right nose gear attachment foot had fractured at the right engine support mount due to fatigue failure. The airframe manufacturer had an applicable service bulletin that recommended increased inspection of the failed area because of a history of cracking. The service bulletin had reportedly been complied with about 18 service hours prior to the nose gear failure, but portions of the failed component had not been completely stripped of paint as recommended to check for cracking. The existing service bulletin was superseded with another service bulletin that reduced the inspection intervals. The manufacturer has also developed a replacement part that, when installed, will end the repetitive inspection requirement of the failed component. Additionally, the old-style component is no longer available as a replacement part.
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, private, sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,672 hours in all; 1,129 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 4,535 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,128.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2005; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,850 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Book Company
The flight
- Departed from: BMG Bloomington IN at 3:00 pm
- Destination: SMD Fort Wayne IN
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 5, 3,110 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from FWA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N4185L 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.