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20250802013479I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Socata TB-20 TRINIDAD · Bentonville, AR · August 2, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 2, 2025 · 21:47 local
Place
Bentonville, AR
Airport
Northwest Arkansas Ntl
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N68KD
Reported as
Socata TB-20 Trinidad
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,100 total
N68KDRegistered now · Socata TB-20 TRINIDADS/N 487Airframe modelSocata TB-20 TRINIDAD

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On August 02, 2025, at approximately 21:47 central daylight time, ATC Bentonville (xna) airport reported that the aircraft performed a forced landing due to the nose landing gear did not come down. Initially, the aircraft took off from Bentonville (vbt) airport at approximately 20:42 CDT and was scheduled to perform several touch-and-go landings at vbt for pilot currency. After taking off from vbt, the pilot circled the airport and prepared for the first landing. Upon approach, the pilot noted that the nose landing gear did not come down. The pilot made several circle flight operations within the vbt airspace, performing landing gear cycle operations and emergency procedures, but still could not get the nose gear to drop. Due to not having personnel who could perform a fly-by visual inspection of the aircraft, vbt airport passed the aircraft off to xna airport. Xna ATC instructed the pilot to fly near the xna ATC tower so they could perform a visual inspection of the aircraft’s nose gear. The pilot flew towards xna and performed several more landing gear operations. Pilot flew near xna ATC tower, and xna reported to pilot that his nose gear did not appear to be down. Pilot made a second pass, and ATC reported the nose gear was still not down. Pilot performed a forced landing at xna airport. Aircraft sustained minor damage, and no injuries to the pilot were noted.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 02, 2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 21:47 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, ATC BENTONVILLE (XNA) AIRPORT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING DUE TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DID NOT COME DOWN. INITIALLY, THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM BENTONVILLE (VBT) AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 20:42 CDT AND WAS SCHEDULED TO PERFORM SEVERAL TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS AT VBT FOR PILOT CURRENCY. AFTER TAKING OFF FROM VBT, THE PILOT CIRCLED THE AIRPORT AND PREPARED FOR THE FIRST LANDING. UPON APPROACH, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DID NOT COME DOWN. THE PILOT MADE SEVERAL CIRCLE FLIGHT OPERATIONS WITHIN THE VBT AIRSPACE, PERFORMING LANDING GEAR CYCLE OPERATIONS AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, BUT STILL COULD NOT GET THE NOSE GEAR TO DROP. DUE TO NOT HAVING PERSONNEL WHO COULD PERFORM A FLY-BY VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, VBT AIRPORT PASSED THE AIRCRAFT OFF TO XNA AIRPORT. XNA ATC INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO FLY NEAR THE XNA ATC TOWER SO THEY COULD PERFORM A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT’S NOSE GEAR. THE PILOT FLEW TOWARDS XNA AND PERFORMED SEVERAL MORE LANDING GEAR OPERATIONS. PILOT FLEW NEAR XNA ATC TOWER, AND XNA REPORTED TO PILOT THAT HIS NOSE GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DOWN. PILOT MADE A SECOND PASS, AND ATC REPORTED THE NOSE GEAR WAS STILL NOT DOWN. PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING AT XNA AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, AND NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT WERE NOTED.