Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Driggs, Idaho 83422
Saturday, September 20, 2003 17:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After landing and proceeding on the centerline, the pilot began to make a right turn following the taxi marker onto a taxiway. When the aircraft was off the runway, a brief and unusual nose wobble was detected. The nose of the aircraft then dropped to the runway and the propellers struck the pavement, causing the aircraft to come to an immediate stop. After separating from the aircraft, the nose wheel was observed approximately 3 to 5 feet from where it came to rest. It was observed that the wheel was smoking from the heat at the center bearing axle shaft, and there was a considerable amount of debris scattered near the front and rear of the aircraft. There was also debris from the nose wheel bearing housing found as far as 500 feet behind the aircraft. The nose landing gear structural attach points were substantially damaged. An FAA inspector reported the nose wheel bearing had failed and separated from the nose fork. The inspector also reported that the bearing and roller retainer on one side of the axle had disintegrated and was missing, while the bearing on the opposite side was void of any lubrication.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The collapse of the nose landing gear while taxiing due to the failure of the nose wheel bearing. A factor was the lack of lubrication.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/20/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Driggs |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83422 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 434419N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1110617W |
| Event Location Airport | Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | U59 |
| 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 | 6228 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1735 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 80 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | JAC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6228 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7424 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15035 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 21 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 930 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2004 8:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Salt Lake City |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N41053 |
| NTSB Number | SEA03LA192 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 421B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 421B0419 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7500 |
| 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 | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 1 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 65 |
| Airframe Hours | 2500 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Air Big Rock Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 515 Princeton Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Hinsdale |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60521 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Jim R. Palmer |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Hinsdale |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 60521 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CPR |
| Departure City | Casper |
| Departure State | WY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1610 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | U59 |
| Destination City | Driggs |
| Destination State | ID |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 26 2003 1:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 7300 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |