Spartan 7W accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 12, 2008
On March 12, 2008 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Spartan 7W, registered N17662, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Santa Fe, New Mexico (Santa Fe Municipal airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fatigue failure of the right main landing gear, rendering directional control impossible and causing an overload failure of the left main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2008 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Fe, New Mexico · Santa Fe Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Spartan 7W · all 7Ws on the register
- Registration
- N17662 · registry record · serial 28
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing full stop landings and he made a "firm" landing. Shortly thereafter, the right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane began veering to the right. The pilot made corrective inputs but could not maintain directional control. The airplane departed the runway. The left main landing gear then collapsed. Both wings were bent and the fuselage sustained bulkhead damage. According to NTSB's Materials Laboratory report, the right main landing gear strut "appeared relatively rough and light gray consistent with overstress fracture of a cast aluminum alloy." Examination of the corner radius where the outboard support flange intersects the vertical tube "showed areas with a smooth faceted appearance with curving boundaries consistent with fatigue." Examination of the fractures faces of the left main landing gear strut "showed features indicative of overstress separation...An area of the fracture surface was smooth and shiny, features consistent with smearing associated with the compression side of an overstress fracture in bending."
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft structural failure during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,037 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 4,985 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,410 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2008; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985AN-14-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAF Santa Fe MA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: SAF
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 6,307 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from SAF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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 DEN08LA064.