North American T-28A accident near Houston, Texas, May 30, 2003
On May 30, 2003 at about 7:00 pm local time, a North American T-28A, registered N14124, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas (West Houston Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the nose wheel landing gear shimmy damper for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2003 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · West Houston Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American T-28A · all T-28As on the register
- Registration
- N14124 · no longer on the register · serial 51-3693
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing, the airplane touched down at approximately 75 knots. When the nose wheel came down and touched, there was a "minor high frequency shimmy and the pilot immediately pulled the stick back and the shimmy stopped." As the airspeed bled off, the nose wheel came back in contact with the runway and "tracked straight down the runway." At approximately 15 - 18 knots, the airplane suddenly started to shimmy and was "so bad, the pilot couldn't even see." Examination of the airplane logbooks revealed the nose wheel shimmy damper was repacked prior to the last departure.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,224 hours in all; 269 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,224 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 23, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,664 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2002; 27.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Wright R-1820-56S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RVS Tulsa OK at 5:00 pm
- Destination: IWS Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,953 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N14124 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.