- Date
- April 29, 2018, 22:30 local (Apr 30, 2018, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sioux Falls, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N172GABeech 1900C
- Defining event
- Taxi: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20180429014919A
- Case key
- 97218
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the right main landing gear drag brace bolt for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
As the twin-engine, turbopropeller-equipped airplane started to taxi for takeoff, the right main landing gear collapsed, deforming the aft center wing lower spar cap. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear drag brace bolt failed at the wing forward attach point. As the airplane moved forward, the strut pivoted aft, collapsing the landing gear. The drag brace bolt was not retained, and the reason for its failure could not be determined based on the available information.
Factual narrative
On April 29, 2018, about 2230 central daylight time, a Beech 1900C, N172GA, was substantially damaged when the right main landing gear collapsed as the airplane started to taxi for takeoff at Joe Foss Field Airport (FSD), Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The airline transport pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Alpine Aviation, doing business as Alpine Air Express, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as a non-scheduled domestic cargo flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airport at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed. The flight was originating from FSD, and was destined for Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), Rapid City, South Dakota. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, the airplane had just moved forward to taxi for takeoff when the right main landing gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the right main landing gear drag brace bolt failed at the wing forward attach point. The drag brace bolt was not retained for further examination. The strut pivoted aft when the airplane moved forward, and the landing gear collapsed. The aft center wing lower spar cap was dented and deformed up to 0.090". Further examination found pitting corrosion on the spar cap.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N172GA
- Reported as
- Beech 1900C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- UB-11
- Built
- 1982
- Airframe hours
- 41,851
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65B, 1,100 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitney PT6A-65B, 1,100 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Alpine Aviation, Inc., doing business as Alpine Air Express
- Registered owner
- Alpine Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · March 10, 2018 · 117 hours before
- Departed
- FSD · Sioux Falls, SD
- Destination
- RAP · Rapid City, SD
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FSD · Joe Foss Field
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 28, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,968 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command · 133 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 160° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- KFSD
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.