Amateur-built Defiant accident near Deland, Florida, July 23, 2004
On July 23, 2004 at about 8:45 pm local time, a amateur-built Defiant, registered N369BL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Deland, Florida (Deland Municipal airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to fully extend the nose landing gear resulting in collapse of it during the landing roll. A contributing factor in the accident was the lack of a nose landing gear down and locked indicator.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2004 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Deland, Florida · Deland Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Defiant
- Registration
- N369BL · registry record · serial D-0369
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the flight proceeded to the destination airport area where he lowered the retractable nose landing gear during the base leg to land on runway 05. The flight turned final, touched down first on the main landing gears, then when he lowered the nose landing gear to the runway, it appeared to hold for an instant then collapsed. The airplane slid a distance then came to rest upright; he secured the airplane then both he and the passenger evacuated it. The nose was raised from the runway, the nose landing gear manual gear extension/retraction handle was lowered and locked into position, which locked the nose landing gear into the down and locked position. There is no nose landing gear down and locked light indication in the cockpit; he could see the nose landing gear was extended. He further reported there was no failure of the nose landing gear retraction/extension components, and the nose gear collapse was not a rigging issue but rather his failure to push forward on the retraction/extension handle with enough force.
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
- Flight time: 2,260 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 2,260 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,499 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 843 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 28, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Eggenfellner EA-6TD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X50 New Smyrna Bch FL at 7:50 pm
- Destination: KDED Deland FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 3,984 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KDAB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.