Howard Aircraft DGA-15 accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, February 22, 2005
On February 22, 2005 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Howard Aircraft DGA-15, registered N68431, was substantially damaged in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida (Spruce Creek Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel failure to detect corrosion in the landing gear strut, resulting in the gear collapsing during landing and damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2005 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Spruce Creek Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Howard Aircraft DGA-15 · all DGA-15s on the register
- Registration
- N68431 · registry record · serial 991
- 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 this was going to be the third landing of the day. The landing was made to the southwest runway 23, which is a published 4000 ft long, by 176 ft wide. During the landing, the touchdown was "normal", with a slight skip. On the landing roll the airplane traveled down the runway for about 25 to 30 feet, and he felt the left side drop "slightly", and without warning the airplane veered to the right. He applied full left rudder and left brake several times to compensate for the right veer. The airplane continued to the right, and the right main landing gear went off the side of the runway. The airplane's heading changed 40 degrees to the right, as the airplane's left main landing gear collapsed and went under the fuselage causing the left wing to strike the ground. The left wing and the left underside of the forward fuselage incurred damage as the airplane departed the runway. The airplane came to a stop partially off and perpendicular to the runway. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident stated that both brake calipers were dry with no evidence of leaking fluid. The right wheel turned freely and the left wheel turned freely when the wheel pant was bent away from the left wheel. Both brake calipers moved freely in the slider pin bushings. The inside of the airplane's left main landing gear strut was inspected and internal rust and deterioration was found in the lower portion of the landing gear strut steel tube where it had broken. The pilot stated later, that an inspection of the left main landing strut revealed a substantial amount of rust inside the lower portion of the left main strut. The drag strut separated at the drain hole of the landing gear strut where it attaches to the left main landing gear oleo, consistent with the drain hole being obstructed for a period of time.
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
- Flight time: 31,000 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 28,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,162 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2004; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney 985-AN6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7FL6 Daytona Beach FL at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,000 ft by 176 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,700 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from DAB, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.