Aero Commander 100-180 accident near Gordonville, Texas, March 18, 2023
On March 18, 2023 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1970 Aero Commander 100-180, registered N4064X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Gordonville, Texas (Cedar Mills airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fatigue fracture of the nose landing gear scissor link, which resulted in a separation of the nose landing gear piston assembly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2023 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gordonville, Texas · Cedar Mills · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 100-180, built 1970 · all 100-180s on the register
- Registration
- N4064X · registry record · serial 5164
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying the last airplane to land in a group of six airplanes. During the landing, the main landing gear touched down on the grass runway and the airplane bounced once. When the airplane touched down again, the nose landing gear collapsed, the propeller blades contacted the grass, and the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination of the nose landing gear scissor link showed that the fracture face had failed from fatigue, which resulted in a separation of the nose landing gear piston assembly. Based on witness reports, ground scars, and damage to the nosewheel fairing, it’s likely the scissor link failed either during the initial touchdown or when the nose wheel touched down after the bounced landing. The strut remained attached to the airplane at the engine mount. The aircraft logbooks showed that a bushing on the scissor link had been replaced several months before the accident. There was insufficient evidence to determine the source of the fatigue crack and whether a mechanic would have been able to identify the fatigue during a visual inspection.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear strut/axle › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear steering system › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 265.9 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 2.2 in the last 90 days; 2.2 in the last 30 days; 213.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 17, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,129 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 11, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,475 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KF14 Iowa Park TX at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07/2, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.43 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 am from KGYI, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KGYI 181550Z 36014G20KT 10SM CLR 07/M04 A3043=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR23LA130.