Cessna 140A accident near Greeley, Colorado, April 25, 2001
On April 25, 2001 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 140A, registered N666TC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greeley, Colorado (Greeley-Weld County 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
total failure of the right main landing gear spring due to fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2001 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Greeley, Colorado · Greeley-Weld County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140A · all 140As on the register
- Registration
- N666TC · no longer on the register · serial 15399
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a conventional, full-stall landing. Upon touch down, the right main landing gear failed. The airplane skidded to a halt, buckling the fuselage and landing gear box, and damaging the wing spar. Metallurgical examiunation disclosed cracks had initiated in one of two holes used to attach the step assembly to the landing gear spring. Chevron (or beach) marks on the fractured surface pointed back to the crack initiation site, and were consistent with fatigue cracking. The adjacent area was characterized by dimples, indicating the final breakage was due to a ductile fracture under overload.
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: recreational
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 131 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 30 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,243 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 2000; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 18V Hudson CO at 3:15 pm
- Destination: GXY Greeley CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 6,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from GXY
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.