Taylorcraft DCO-65 accident near Somerset, Texas, June 28, 2008
On June 28, 2008 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Taylorcraft DCO-65, registered N87787, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Somerset, Texas (Cannon Filed 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The right main landing gear strut failure due to metal fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2008 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Somerset, Texas · Cannon Filed · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft DCO-65 · all DCO-65s on the register
- Registration
- N87787 · registry record · serial L5485
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport rated pilot made a successful landing to runway 13 on a turf airstrip. During the landing roll, at about 30 miles per hour, the passenger stated that he heard a "loud pop" and the aircraft came to a complete stop. A Federal Aviation Inspector on scene noted the right main landing gear strut had failed. The failure was consistent with corrosion and subsequent metal fatigue. Substantial damage was determined to the right wing strut, rudder, tail wheel assembly, right main landing gear and the propeller. Both the pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane unassisted and uninjured. Winds were reported at the time of the accident to be from 140 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 18 knots.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,900 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,132 hours
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental AC-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 53TX Somerset TX
- Destination: 53TX Somerset TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,880 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KSSF, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DFW08CA172.