North American T-28D accident near Heber City, Utah, September 25, 2000
On September 25, 2000 at about 4:15 pm local time, a North American T-28D, registered N28YF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Heber City, Utah (Heber City 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 nose wheel landing gear shimmy damper, which resulted in failure and collapse of the nose wheel landing gear during landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 2000 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Heber City, Utah · Heber City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American T-28D · all T-28Ds on the register
- Registration
- N28YF · registry record · serial 137799W
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that during the landing roll, the nose wheel began to shimmy. As the airplane slowed down, the shimmying became worse. As the airplane approached 40 knots, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the propeller began striking the runway. Postaccident examination by Engineering Systems, Inc., Aurora, Illinois, determined that the nose wheel shimmy damper had malfuctioned. They determined that there was grit behind both cylinder end caps, and there was evidence of a slow hydraulic leak from the damper.
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,049 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 19,528 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,915 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 13, 2000; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,097 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Wright 1820-86B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 36U at 3:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 140°F (60°C), dew point 122°F (50°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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.