Grumman G-73 incident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 22, 2001
On May 22, 2001 at about 9:46 pm local time, a Grumman G-73, registered N142PA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Int airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 19 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 improper review of component records by company maintenance personnel of returned landing gear components from a laboratory for magnaflux and x-ray. This resulted in unserviceable components being tagged as serviceable, installation of unserviceable parts on an operational airplane, and subsequent failure/collapse of the right main landing gear during taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2001 · about 9:46 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Int · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 19 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-73 · all G-73s on the register
- Registration
- N142PA · registry record · serial J42
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was taxing to the ramp when the right main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the landing gear revealed evidence of preexisting cracks. Review of paper work by company maintenance personnel revealed that components had been sent to a laboratory for examination. Upon return of the components the paperwork indicated that two components had been rejected due to cracks. Company maintenance personnel stated that unserviceable components had been tagged as serviceable and installed on an operational airplane which resulted in the subsequent failure and collapse of the right main landing gear.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 1,800 as pilot in command; 530 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 280 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 29,548 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 21, 2001; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 14,000 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-60A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flying Boat Inc
The flight
- Departed from: PID Paradise Island at 9:55 pm
- Destination: FLL Fort Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft; scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from FLL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 17 |
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 N142PA 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 MIA01IA144.