North American NA-265-80 accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma, July 5, 1997
On July 5, 1997 at about 10:00 pm local time, a North American NA-265-80, registered N100EJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma (Ardmore Municipal airport). It was a positioning 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of maintenance personnel to mask the gear locking pins prior to painting the airplane which resulted in the right main gear locking pin jamming in the unlocked position due to contamination with paint. A factor was the failure of maintenance personnel to mask the power brake valve pistons prior to painting which resulted in the left power brake valve jamming in the emergency (power off) position due to contamination with paint.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1997 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ardmore, Oklahoma · Ardmore Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American NA-265-80 · all NA-265-80s on the register
- Registration
- N100EJ · no longer on the register · serial 380-001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the accident flight, the airplane was completely stripped and repainted by a maintenance facility at the departure airport. When the gear was retracted after takeoff, the pilot noticed that the landing gear warning light was illuminated. He lowered the landing gear, and the down and locked indicator light for the right main gear did not illuminate. Emergency gear extension procedures did not correct the discrepancy. The pilot elected to return to the airport and decided not to use thrust reversers during the landing roll to minimize yaw. There was 'no significant pedal pressure' when he applied brakes following touchdown, and the airplane overran the runway. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing contacted the ground. Examination revealed that the main gear downlock pins had been painted which resulted in the right pin sticking in the retracted (unlocked) position when the gear was raised after takeoff. Additionally, the power brake valve pistons had been painted which resulted in the left piston sticking in the emergency (power off) position when the pilot tested the emergency brakes before takeoff.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,300 hours in all; 520 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 9,850 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 23,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF700-2D2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ADM at 9:45 pm
- Destination: CLE Cleveland OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12, 7,220 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N100EJ 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 FTW97LA254.