20260424010719A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech F33A · Sanford, NC · April 24, 2026

Date
April 24, 2026 · 12:00 local
Place
Sanford, NC
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N85WM
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA26LA191
Reported as
Beech F33A
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
289 total

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.

The PIC was training IFR appoaches with CFI onboard. During their final IFR approach into ktta the PIC began the gear extension to land. Once he initiated the gear extension the aircraft lost power. PIC began doing his emergency check list while the passenger used a handheld radio to communicate. PIC began the manual extension and he felt that the gear was down. They did a low and slow pass over asking if the ground could see their gear down. The ground said they could see the gear down but did not know if it was locked. They proceeded to land; they slowly touched down and the landing gears collapsed.

As the FAA filed it

THE PIC WAS TRAINING IFR APPOACHES WITH CFI ONBOARD. DURING THEIR FINAL IFR APPROACH INTO KTTA THE PIC BEGAN THE GEAR EXTENSION TO LAND. ONCE HE INITIATED THE GEAR EXTENSION THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER. PIC BEGAN DOING HIS EMERGENCY CHECK LIST WHILE THE PASSENGER USED A HANDHELD RADIO TO COMMUNICATE. PIC BEGAN THE MANUAL EXTENSION AND HE FELT THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN. THEY DID A LOW AND SLOW PASS OVER ASKING IF THE GROUND COULD SEE THEIR GEAR DOWN. THE GROUND SAID THEY COULD SEE THE GEAR DOWN BUT DID NOT KNOW IF IT WAS LOCKED. THEY PROCEEDED TO LAND; THEY SLOWLY TOUCHED DOWN AND THE LANDING GEARS COLLAPSED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.