Cessna 170 accident near Crockett, Texas, January 13, 1990
On January 13, 1990 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N6303D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crockett, Texas (Last Resort 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 MAIN LANDING GEAR AXLE DUE TO FATIGUE WHICH LED TO A LOSS OF CONTROL AFTER TOUCHDOWN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 13, 1990 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Crockett, Texas · Last Resort · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N6303D · registry record · serial 18015
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON TOUCHDOWN, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AXLE BROKE AND THE WHEEL SEPARATED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE VEERED RIGHT, WHEN THE STRUT STUB DUG INTO THE GROUND. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURE SURFACES OF THE FAILED AXLE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF A PRE-EXISTING CRACK ALONG THE BOTTOM 1/3 OF THE AXLE CIRCUMFERENCE. THE REMAINDER OF THE FRACTURE APPEARED TO BE FRESH.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 880 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,741 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 9, 1989; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSN Palestine TX at 3:30 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,400 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°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.
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.