Beech 58 accident near Birmingham, Alabama, August 12, 1982
On August 12, 1982 at about 11:55 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N7239R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Birmingham, Alabama (Birmingham Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1982 · about 11:55 pm local time
- Place
- Birmingham, Alabama · Birmingham Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N7239R · registry record · serial TH565
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN AND A LANDING ROLL OF 300-500 FEET THE GEAR RETRACTED/COLLAPSED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENTIRE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM WAS GROUND CHECKED AND NORMAL FUNCTION OF THE SYSTEM WAS FOUND. THE AIRCRAFT FLAPS WERE FOUND IN THE ONE HALF EXTENDED POSITION. IN THIS AIRCRAFT THE FLAP AND GEAR HANDLES ARE ADJACENT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,105 hours in all; 1,176 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 2,008 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,516 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Balco Mechanical Cont., INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Mobile AL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: Ft. Collins CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 176°F (80°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.