- Date
- September 8, 2004, 14:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Casper, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N1551LBeech B-60
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards Field Office
- FAA report
- 20040908020889A
- Case key
- 60102
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 missing nose gear assembly bolt, spacer and nut resulting in a gear collapse due to improper maintenance procedures. Contributing to the accident was the collision with the storm drain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he was taxiing to the ramp, when the airplane's nose gear struck a storm drain, causing it to collapse and substantially damaging the wheel well. A postaccident examination of the airplane by the FAA revealed that the nose gear bolt, spacer and nut were missing. No other anomalies were noted. According to the pilot, the bolt had been replaced on September 1, 2004. In an FAA interview with the mechanic, it was discovered that the Beech maintenance procedures had not been followed while servicing the nose gear.
Factual narrative
On September 8, 2004, at approximately 1415 mountain daylight time, a Beech B-60, N1551L, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while taxiing at Natrona County International Airport (CPR), Casper, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The business flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The cross-country flight originated in Riverton, Wyoming, at approximately 1130.
According to the accident report submitted by the pilot, he had been taxiing south on Alpha taxiway and was departing the taxiway en route to the Trajen Air ramp area when the nose gear struck a storm drain. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane skid approximately 6 to 10 feet before coming to rest on its nose. Both propellers struck the ground and the wheel well structure was crushed and torn. According to the ramp agent that was marshalling the airplane to parking, the airplane was taxiing at a slow pace when it impacted the storm drain, bounced, collapsing the nose gear and slid.
A postaccident examination of the airplane by the FAA revealed that the nose gear bolt, spacer and nut were missing. No other anomalies were noted. According to the pilot, the bolt had been replaced on September 1, 2004. In an FAA interview with the mechanic, it was discovered that the Beech maintenance procedures had not been followed while servicing the nose gear.
The difference in elevation between the storm drain and the abutting pavement was 1 inch. Title 14 CFR Part 139.305, Paved Areas, states that, "The pavement edges must not exceed 3 inches difference in elevation between abutting pavement sections and between pavement and abutting areas."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1551L
- Reported as
- Beech B-60
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- B391
- Airframe hours
- 2,860
- Engines
- Lycoming TIO-541-E1A4, 390 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming TIO-541-E1A4, 390 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 15, 2003 · 129 hours before
- Departed
- RIW · Riverton, WY
- Destination
- CPR · Casper, WY
- Airport
- CPR · Natrona County Intnl Airport
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- March 15, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,025 total · 430 in this make and model · 3,025 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 250° at 17 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- CPR, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.