Amateur-built Samson accident near Conroe, Texas, June 1, 2007
On June 1, 2007 at about 10:45 pm local time, a amateur-built Samson, registered N985JD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Conroe, Texas (Lone Star Executive Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the main landing gear for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2007 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Conroe, Texas · Lone Star Executive Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Samson
- Registration
- N985JD · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Both main landing gears on a tailwheel-equipped homebuilt airplane collapsed during the landing roll. The 34,000-hour airline transport pilot, who was not the owner, reported that during the landing roll on the 6,000-foot-long, by 150-foot-wide asphalt runway, he began to apply "slight braking pressure." The pilot reported that the single-engine airplane began to "shudder rapidly." The left main landing gear collapsed, and immediately following that, the right main landing gear also collapsed. The radial engine powered airplane came to rest on the centerline of runway 14 and the pilot exited the airplane unassisted without injuries. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector, revealed that the left wing sustained structural damage; however, he was unable to determine the reason for the failure of the landing gear. The winds at the time of the mishap were reported from 140 degrees at 8 knots. **This narrative was modified on September 28, 2007.**
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
Crew member
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 34,000 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 26,000 as pilot in command; 8,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 1, 2006
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 100 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CXO Conroe TX at 8:30 pm
- Destination: CXO Conroe TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from CXO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 DFW07CA128.