# NTSB DEN01LA006: North American T-28D, N28YF, Heber City, UT, September 25, 2000

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: September 25, 2000, 10:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place: Heber City, UT
- Coordinates: 40.430641, -111.190597 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4306&lon=-111.1906&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report November 1, 2001
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 50539
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN01LA006
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50539/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01LA006

## Probable cause

the failure of the nose wheel landing gear shimmy damper, which resulted in failure and collapse of the nose wheel landing gear during landing roll.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Nose gear collapsed, landing - roll
  - landing gear,nose gear - failure,total (cause)

## Analysis

The pilot said that during the landing roll, the nose wheel began to shimmy.  As the airplane slowed down, the shimmying became worse.  As the airplane approached 40 knots, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the propeller began striking the runway.  Postaccident examination by Engineering Systems, Inc., Aurora, Illinois, determined that the nose wheel shimmy damper had malfuctioned.  They determined that there was grit behind both cylinder end caps, and there was evidence of a slow hydraulic leak from the damper.

## Factual narrative

On September 25, 2000, at approximately 1015 mountain daylight time, a North American T-28D, N28YF, was substantially damaged when the nose gear collapsed during landing roll at Russ McDonald Airfield, Heber City, Utah.  The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant aboard the airplane, was not injured.  The pilot was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that originated approximately 20 minutes prior to the accident.  No flight plan had been filed.

The pilot said that during the landing roll the nose wheel began to shimmy.  As the airplane slowed down, the shimmying became worse.  He said that as the airplane approached 40 knots, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the propeller began striking the runway.  The airplane sustained structural damage to the firewall and its bulkhead.

Postaccident examination by Engineering Systems, Inc., Aurora, Illinois, determined that the nose wheel shimmy damper had malfuctioned.  They determined that there was grit behind both cylinder end caps, and there was evidence of a slow hydraulic leak from the damper.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N28YF](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N28YF), registered now, S/N 137799W, built 1953 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: North American T-28D
- Registry model: [North American / Weaver N A T-28D](https://openairdocs.org/model/north-american-weaver-n-a-t-28d) (registry code 6402525) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Wright R-1820 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/wright-r-1820-series) (registry code 67020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 137799W
- Airframe hours: 6915
- Engines: Wright 1820-86B 1425 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Lynn S Oswald
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, April 13, 2000, 17 hours before
- Departed: 36U
- Airport: 36U, Heber City Municipal, runway 21, 6,900 × 75 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 63; military, airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: front; flight hours: 21,049 total, 130 in this make and model, 19,528 as pilot in command, 8 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 140 °F, dew point 122 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20000925028339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000925028339A), Sep 25, 2000: Heber, UT, No damage. (-23) On September 25, 2000, at approx. 1045 MDT, a north American T-28D, N28YF, registered to and operated by pilot, nose gear snapped off a/c during landing…

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.

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