- Date
- June 10, 2024, 21:00 local (Jun 11, 2024, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Colorado Springs, CO · Runway 17R, off right side of runway between Taxiways A1 and A2
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N321NBeech D55
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Denver FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240610007609A
- Case key
- 194486
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
The deflated right main landing gear tire due to a sidewall puncture made by an unknown object, which led to the pilot’s loss of directional control and the landing gear collapse during landing roll.
Findings · 6
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
The flight instructor and the pilot-receiving-instruction were conducting a nighttime currency/proficiency flight when, after an uneventful landing flare and touchdown, the airplane began to vibrate and veer right during the landing roll. The pilot-receiving-instruction, who was the pilot flying during the landing, released toe brake input but the vibration increased as the airplane continued to veer right. Ultimately, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright in the grass adjacent to the runway. The right wing main spar was substantially damaged when the right wing struck the ground after the landing gear collapsed. Examination of the right main landing gear tire and its tube revealed a sidewall puncture. The puncture was made by an unknown small, sharp object, which left a clean cut on the tube sidewall that measured about 0.25-inch long with the tube deflated, and 0.375-inch long when the tube was reinflated. During the landing roll, it is likely that the tube lost enough pressure that it began to move around the wheel rim until the valve stem severed and there was total loss of remaining tire pressure. The increasing vibration felt by the pilots during landing roll is consistent with a progressive loss of tire pressure, and the increased drag from the deflated right tire would explain airplane’s tendency to veer right. The right main landing gear likely collapsed when the over-center down lock assembly disengaged due to an excessive sideload during the right swerve.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N321N
- Reported as
- Beech D55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE-583
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 4,891
- Engines
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Peterson Space Force Aero Club, doing business as Rocky Mountain Flight Training Center
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 10, 2024 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- COS · Colorado Springs, CO
- Destination
- COS · Colorado Springs, CO
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- COS · City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, runway 17R, 11,022 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 9, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,399 total · 30 in this make and model · 1,399 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,153 total · 106 in this make and model · 4,706 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.08 inHg
- Observed at
- COS, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KCOS 110254Z 19004KT 10SM FEW120 BKN200 BKN250 20/13 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP117 T02000128 50005 $=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.5 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.