- Date
- March 12, 1998, 19:40 local (Mar 13, 1998, 02:40 UTC)
- Place
- Taos, NM
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9239QBeech 58
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980312006839A
- Case key
- 20554
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 total failure of the landing gear retraction/extension assembly for reasons undetermined.
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 attempted to lower the landing gear in preparation for a normal landing. When he lowered the landing gear switch, the gear lock indicators failed to indicate the landing gear in the down-and-locked position. Manual extension of the landing gear was also unsuccessful. After circling the airport for approximately 20-30 minutes, he executed an emergency gear-up landing. Postaccident examination of the aircraft revealed that the landing gear box had failed, causing the flaps attachment tracks to separate from the spar webbing, and the belly formers to be damaged.
Factual narrative
On March 12, 1998, at 1940 mountain standard time, a Beech 58, N9239Q, sustained substantial damage during a gear up landing at Taos Municipal Airport, Taos, New Mexico. The private pilot and his three passengers were not injured, and there was no damage to other property. The flight was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91, and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at Austin, Texas, at 1540 central standard time.
According to the pilot's accident report, he attempted to lower the landing gear in preparation for a normal landing on runway 22. When he lowered the landing gear switch, the "gear lock indicators failed to indicate that the landing gear had been moved to the down-and-locked position. The switch was raised and lowered again but failed to lower the landing gear." He also attempted to lower the landing gear by manual extension, but was unsuccessful. After circling the airport for approximately 20-30 minutes, the pilot notified ground personnel of the situation and executed an emergency gear-up landing.
Postaccident examination of the aircraft revealed that the landing gear box had failed, causing the flaps attachment tracks to separate from the spar webbing, and the belly formers to be damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9239Q
- Reported as
- Beech 58
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TH139
- Airframe hours
- 6,005
- Engine
- Continental IO520C5B, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ican Enterprises, Inc., doing business as Ican Aviation
- Registered owner
- Hamilton Enterprises, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 30, 1998 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- AUS · Austin, TX
- Destination
- SKX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SKX · Taos Municipal, runway 22, 5,798 × 75 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 645 total · 56 in this make and model · 553 as pilot in command · 61 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SKX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.