Spartan 7W accident near Jefferson, Ohio, July 6, 2000
On July 6, 2000 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Spartan 7W, registered N17613, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jefferson, Ohio (Ashtabula County Arpt 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The overload failure of the left main gear strut housing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2000 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Jefferson, Ohio · Ashtabula County Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Spartan 7W · all 7Ws on the register
- Registration
- N17613 · registry record · serial 12
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the airplane touched down, the left wing would not remain level despite inputs to the aileron. Control of the airplane was maintained for about 500 feet, then the airplane swerved left and departed the left side of the runway, onto a grass area. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear assembly broke at the top shock strut mount. The owner forwarded components from the left main landing gear to an independent metallurgist. The fracture surface on the left main landing gear strut housing was examined under a scanning electron microscope, and the metallurgist concluded, 'the bulk of the fracture surface of the housing was a cleavage fracture which would be consistent with an overload condition coupled with the low ductility of the housing. The airplane was built in 1937, and the landing gear assembly was an original part.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,008 hours in all; 98 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 1,854 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,652 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 2000; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R985 AN-1-148 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7G8 Middlefield OH at 4:15 pm
- Destination: HZY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 5,198 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from HZY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 NYC00LA190.