Eclipse Aviation CORP EA500 accident near Sacramento, California, June 12, 2015
On June 12, 2015, a 2006 Eclipse Aviation CORP EA500, registered N508JA, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Sacramento, California (Sacramento Executive airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 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
A manufacturing defect that resulted in fatigue failure of the left main landing gear trunnion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2015
- Place
- Sacramento, California · Sacramento Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eclipse Aviation CORP EA500 NO SERIES, built 2006 · all EA500s on the register
- Registration
- N508JA · registry record · serial 000001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the airline transport pilot and the commercial pilot, the airplane was taxiing to the runway when they heard a loud bang and the airplane veered to the left. The pilots contacted the tower controller, who informed them that the airplane was leaking a large amount of fuel onto the tarmac. The pilots shut down the airplane and evacuated the passengers. Further examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear trunnion had punctured the left wing. Postaccident examination revealed that the left main landing gear assembly had fractured due to a fatigue crack that emanated from a sharp corner of a machined feature on the inner surface of the trunnion. The deep machining gouge mark was likely the result of an error in cleaning operation during manufacture; the cleaning tool could have extended deeper into the tapered inner surface than intended and created the deep machine gouge mark. The fatigue crack initiated on the inside of the tube and grew to a crucial size without reaching the outer wall of the tube. As a result, the crack would not have been visible during a visual inspection. The manufacturer reported that, following the accident, they identified a systemic manufacturing defect that potentially affected the entire fleet. A mandatory service bulletin was issued to address the problem, as well as the initiation of a fleet-wide inspection and landing gear trunnion repair/replacement program.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Organizational issues › Development › Manufacture/production › (general) › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 3, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 410 hours in all; 118 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 17, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,275 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 2015
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PW610F-A (turbojet); 1,275 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PW610F-A (turbojet); 1,275 hours total
- Operator: Nemly Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SAC Sacramento CA
- Destination: SFO San Francisco CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from SAC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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 WPR15LA184.