North American TB-25N accident near Georgetown, Delaware, September 4, 2011
On September 4, 2011 at about 9:45 pm local time, a North American TB-25N, registered N9079Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Georgetown, Delaware (Sussex County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel's inadequate examination of the main landing gear during the airplane’s most recent conditional inspection, which resulted in the fatigue failure of the right main landing gear shock strut drag arm during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2011 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Georgetown, Delaware · Sussex County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American TB-25N · all TB-25Ns on the register
- Registration
- N9079Z · registry record · serial 44-30734
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to both pilots, they landed the airplane and felt the right wing drop during the landing roll. They attempted to maintain directional control, but the right wing dropped further and the airplane veered off of the right side of the runway. During a subsequent examination of the wreckage, the right main landing gear shock strut drag arm was found broken. An examination of the broken drag arm revealed that it fractured in the I-beam at the blend radius of an orthogonal arm due to bending fatigue. Given the extent of fatigue crack propagation in the flange of the I-beam, it is likely that the fracture occurred due to high-cycle, low-stress fatigue. Since the depth of the fatigue crack was significant relative to the I-beam flange thickness, the fatigue crack probably developed and propagated over a long time under numerous low-stress cycles. The most recent inspection of the main landing gear was on July 7, 2011, which was in accordance with a conditional inspection. The inspection required a mechanic to verify the condition and security of the main landing gear. It is most likely that the fatigue crack would have been detectable at the time of that inspection.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear attach sec › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,633 hours in all; 1,344 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 4,450 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 23, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,701 hours in all; 1,120 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 10,480 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 25, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,242 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 11, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 28,800 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Wright R-2600 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Wright R-2600 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Rag Wings & Radials Aircraft Leasing LLC
The flight
- Departed from: NHK Patuxent River MD at 9:00 pm
- Destination: GED Georgetown DE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from GED
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N9079Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ERA11LA484.