Consolidated Vultee 28-5ACF accident near Dayton, Tennessee, October 31, 2025
On October 31, 2025 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1944 Consolidated Vultee 28-5ACF, registered N222FT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Dayton, Tennessee (Mark Anton airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 collapse of the left main landing gear due to the fatigue fracture of the lower landing gear actuator bolt.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 2025 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dayton, Tennessee · Mark Anton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Consolidated Vultee 28-5ACF, built 1944 · all 28-5ACFs on the register
- Registration
- N222FT · registry record · serial 11074
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had been out of service for six months due to leaking hydraulic sequence valves. Following installation of the repaired components, maintenance personnel cycled the landing gear multiple times through its full range of travel. System pressure was maintained and no leaks were observed. The airplane was subsequently serviced with fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluid in preparation for a maintenance test flight. The pilot reported that a preflight inspection was completed, and the three crew members boarded the airplane for departure. The before takeoff checks, including a full power run-up of both engines, were completed with no anomalies noted. After takeoff and following the selection of the landing gear to the up position, at about 300 ft above ground level (agl), the flight engineer noticed they were losing hydraulic fluid from the right main landing gear. The left main and nose landing gear had fully retracted; however, the right main landing gear was partially retracted and not in its wheel well. The auxiliary hydraulic pump was selected on, followed by the selection of the landing gear to the down position. The left main gear subsequently indicated down and locked with the green gear position light illuminated; however, the nose gear was in the up position, and the right main landing gear was down but not locked. The flight crew climbed the airplane to about 1,500 ft agl and circled the airport, while the emergency landing gear extension procedure was performed. Following completion of the procedure, the three landing gear green position lights were illuminated indicating that the landing gear was down and locked, and the hydraulic system indicated no system pressure. The flight crew conducted a low pass over the airport while communicating with ground personnel who visually confirmed that three landing gear were in the down position. The airplane returned for landing, and the before landing checklist was completed. Upon touchdown, about 1,500 ft down the runway, the left main landing gear slowly retracted, and the airplane began to veer left. The pilot applied right brake and full right rudder in an attempt to correct for the veer, to no avail. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, the left wing struck a sign before impacting the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and hull. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that all three green landing gear position lights were illuminated; however, the left main landing gear had collapsed. Further examination revealed that the left main landing gear hydraulic actuator attachment bolt had sheared at the lower actuator attach point. In addition, the right wheel well was coated in hydraulic fluid, and the leak appeared to be from a hydraulic line that ran from the bottom of the actuator to the sequence valve. Examination of the failed landing gear bolt revealed reverse bending fatigue resulting from bending loads. The fractured surface exhibited a distinct overstress region with beach marks visible on both sides.
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)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear attach sec › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 38,856 hours in all; 926 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 32,986 as pilot in command; 205 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,848 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 8.6 in the last 30 days; 1,503 as pilot in command; 350 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 28, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,620 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 28, 2025; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 27,880 lb
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pby LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 250° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from CHA, 30 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCHA 311753Z 25011KT 10SM SCT044 16/04 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP163 T01610039 10167 20067 58009
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
Photographs from the investigation 7 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Airplane postaccident
Photograph 2 – Left wing upper skin damage and spar buckling
Photograph 3 – Left wing leading edge damage
Photograph 4 – Left wing lower skin damage
Photograph 5 – Center hull keel damage
Photograph 6 – Left Main Landing gear sheared actuator bolt
Photograph 7 – Left main landing gear actuator separated from the landing gear assembly.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 30, 2026. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Mor - NTSB Materials Laboratory | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 8 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | Video File | MOV file | Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 ERA26LA028.