- Date
- March 10, 2000, 17:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Midland, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8071RBeech 65-B80
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 8, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000310039849A
- Case key
- 48773
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The separation of the right main landing gear tire tread which resulted in damage to the right main landing gear mounting structure.
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
During takeoff roll, at 80 knots, the pilot felt some vibration and the airplane started to veer right. The pilot straightened the airplane and elected to continue with the takeoff since it was questionable whether he could stop the airplane 'without crashing at the departure end of the runway.' The pilot flew by the control tower, and the tower operator advised the pilot that the right main landing gear appeared to be 'abnormal.' The pilot was cleared to land, and as the airplane touched down, the right main landing gear collapsed. An examination of the aircraft revealed that the tread on the right main landing gear tire had separated, and the right main landing gear mounting structure was 'torn loose' from the wing.
Factual narrative
On March 10, 2000, at 1705 central standard time, a Beech 65-B80 twin-engine airplane, N8071R, was substantially damaged during landing at the Midland International Airport near Midland, Texas. The aircraft was registered to a private individual and operated by Western Air Express, Inc., of Midland, Texas. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from the Midland International Airport, about 5 minutes prior to the accident.
The pilot reported that during takeoff roll on runway 34L, at 80 knots, he felt some vibration and the airplane started to veer right. He straightened the airplane and elected to continue with the takeoff since it was questionable whether he could stop the airplane "without crashing at the departure end of the runway."
The pilot flew by the control tower, and the tower operator advised the pilot that the right main landing gear appeared to be "abnormal." The pilot was cleared to land on runway 28, and as the airplane touched down, the right main landing gear collapsed.
An FAA inspector reported that an examination of the aircraft revealed that the tread on the right main landing gear tire had separated, and the right main landing gear mounting structure was "torn loose" from the wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8071R
- Reported as
- Beech 65-B80
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LD-420
- Airframe hours
- 3,384
- Engine
- Lycoming IGSO-540-A1D, 385 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Western Air Express, Inc
- Registered owner
- James Nyerges
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 10, 1999 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- MAF
- Airport
- MAF · Midland International, runway 28, 8,302 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 18,000 total · 8,000 in this make and model · 16,000 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.