Enterprise Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Enterprise, Alabama 36330
Sunday, September 5, 1999 11:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

After approximately one hour of pleasure flying in the local flying area, the two pilots returned to the departure airport for a full-stop landing. After touchdown, the airplane had rolled several hundred feet, when the pilot felt an unusual sensation in the airframe. At approximately the same time, the left spring leaf landing gear assembly separated from the airframe, and the airplane fell to the ground. The field examination of the fracture face disclosed evidence of a preexisting fracture in the steel material. During the follow-up examination of the fracture face, with the aid of a bench binocular microscope, revealed the presence of at least three small fracture areas typical of fatigue cracking. The origin of the fatigue cracking was damaged during the ultimate separation. The examination also disclosed that the fatigue origin was located in an area that showed fretting damage.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The fatigue failure of the main landing gear spring.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/5/1999
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1100
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City ENTERPRISE
Event State ALABAMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 36330
Event Date Year 1999
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ENTERPRISE MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 365
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1050 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 285
Weather Observation Facility ID DHN
Elevation of weather observation facility 401
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 35
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 31000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 31
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 310
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 2500
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1132
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 5 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1400
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Jan 10 2001 9:45AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9872A
NTSB Number ATL99LA124
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 190
Aircraft Series Identifier 190
Aircraft Serial Number 7574
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 5
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 28 1999 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 25
Airframe Hours 2790
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HARVEY J. SCHWAB SR.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 401 RICHLAND AVE
Aircraft Owner City ENTERPRISE
Aircraft Owner State AL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 36330
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code EDN
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1000
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 10 2001 12:26PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 23
Runway Length 5000
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --