# Accident 19971028037039A: Pilats PC6B1H2, Lexington, TX, October 28, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 28, 1997, 09:38 local time
- Place: Lexington, TX
- Airport: Sky Dive Port
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.4098° N, 97.0002° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4098&lon=-97.0002&mi=10
- Aircraft: N19TX, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N19TX) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Pilatus PC-6/B2-H2 (registry code 7090213, https://openairdocs.org/model/pilatus-pc-6-b2-h2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PILATS PC6B1H2
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A20
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,800 total, 400 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA035) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971028037039A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LANDED NEAR EDGE OF NEW STRIP. ENCOUNTERED A SWALE. RIGHT MAIN FOLDED DUE UNKNOWN WEAKNESS. WING FUSELAGE DAMAGE. (.23) THE AIRCRAFT HIT A SMALL RUT IN THE TURF ON ROLLOUT. IT BOUNCED, HITTING THE RIGHT WINGTIP AND DAMAGING THE AILERON.  BOTH MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED INTO THE FUSELAGE.  THE REASON FOR THE GEAR COLLAPSE IS UNKNOWN. (.4) THE PILOT WAS DELIVERING AN AIRPLANE TO A NEW AIRSTRIP. HE HAD BEEN DRIVEN TO THE AIRSTRIP TO INSPECT IT BEFORE THE FIRST LANDING. WHILE LANDING TO THE SOUTH DURING THE AIRSTRIP'S INAUGURAL LANDING, THE PILOT LINED UP TO LAND ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE NEW RUNWAY, AND THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON AN UNIMPROVED PORTION OF THE AIRSTRIP. DURING THE LANDING ROLL ON THE UNIMPROVED PORTION, WHILE ROLLING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 KNOTS, THE LANDING GEAR IMPACTED A SWALE, ONE OF WHICH THE PILOT HAD BEEN BRIEFED ABOUT, EARLIER. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE INCURRED BY THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND NOT TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE FOUND AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE OPERATOR, PILOT, DROP ZONE MANAGER, AND FAA INSPECTOR CONCURRED THAT THE FAILURE OF THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT THE DIRECT RESULT OF IMPACTING A LOW RISE OF  SOFT DIRT AT LOW SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS DID NOT REFLECT ANY PREVIOUS ACCIDENT HISTORY OR DAMAGE THAT COULD HAVE LED TO THE FAILURE OF THE LANDING GEAR. THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COULD NOT BE VERIFIED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW98LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA035), Oct 28, 1997: Pilatus PC-6 (N19TX), Lexington, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area. A factor relating to the accident was: the uneven terrain (with swales) at the edge of the landing area.

## Other reports on N19TX (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20141110021669I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20141110021669I), Nov 10, 2014: Pilatus PC-6/B2-H2 (N19TX), Lebanon, ME, Substantial damage. Pilot was flying downwind and said he experienced a temporary loss of power. He immediately turned the aircraft to land in the clearing next to the runway. He…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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