Cessna 140 accident near Independence, Oregon, February 13, 2016
On February 13, 2016 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1948 Cessna 140, registered N3625V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Independence, Oregon (Independence State 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 left main landing gear wheel axle due to a fatigue crack.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 2016 · about 5:30 pm local time · cases in 2016
- Place
- Independence, Oregon · Independence State · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 G, built 1948 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N3625V · no longer on the register · serial 14896
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was landing the airplane on a dry, hard-surfaced runway. He stated that the approach and touchdown were normal. Just after touchdown, he felt "something similar to a bump," and the airplane started to drift to the left. He thought that the airplane possibly had a flat tire and tried to compensate with rudder input, but the airplane continued drifting to the left, exited the left side of the runway, and ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. An on-scene examination revealed that the left main landing gear axle had fractured, resulting in the separation of the wheel assembly. A detailed examination revealed that the axle was fractured near the inboard end, just outboard of the axle attachment flange. Portions of the fracture surface at the upper and lower sides of the axle had relatively smooth features oriented perpendicular to the outer surface, consistent with fatigue. The fatigue cracks initiated at a fillet corner at a change in the axle's outer diameter. The manufacturer specified inspection intervals to check for cracks and corrosion of the main landing gear axle; however, the accident airplane's maintenance logs were not located, and the airplane's maintenance history could not be determined.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Failure other cases naming the landing gear
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,360 hours in all; 1,310 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,315 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C90 SERIES (piston); 5,098 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Aurora OR at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 7S5 Independence OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,142 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from KSLE, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 30, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report 16-096 | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3625V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3625V: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 140 1,839 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor C90 SERIES 2,149 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Independence State Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,008 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N3625V 2 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR16LA068.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.