Beech 58 accident near Montgomery, Alabama, October 5, 1983
On October 5, 1983 at about 12:08 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N218RC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montgomery, Alabama (Dannelly airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 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
- October 5, 1983 · about 12:08 pm local time
- Place
- Montgomery, Alabama · Dannelly · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N218RC · registry record · serial TH-1182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN APCH TO LAND, THE PLT LOWERED THE GEAR HANDLE, BUT OBSERVED THAT THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT DID NOT COME ON & THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR LIGHT WAS FLICKERING. CONSEQUENTLY, HE RECYCLED THE GEAR OPERATION. AFTER THAT, HE REPORTEDLY SAW ALL 3 INDICATING DOWN & LOCKED, BUT EXPRESSED THE OPINION THAT THE GEAR OPERATION SEEMED TO TAKE LONGER THAN HE REMEMBERED. DURING THE LANDING, ALL 3 GEAR FOLDED INTO THE WHEEL WELLS. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, OBSERVERS REPORTED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WAS DOWN, THE FLAP HANDLE WAS IN TH APCH POSITION & THE GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED. AFTER THE ACFT WAS RAISED, THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS RESET & THE LANDING GEAR WAS CYCLED. THE LEFT MAIN & NOSE GEAR CAME DOWN & LOCKED IMMEDIATELY. THE RIGHT MAIN ALSO CAME DOWN & LOCKED AFTER IT WAS CLEARED FROM A JAMMED GEAR DOOR. THE ACFT WAS ON ITS 1ST FLT AFTER A 100 HR INSPECTION. IT WAS FLOWN BACK TO THE SAME FACILITY & WAS FURTHER CHECKED. REPORTEDLY, PERSONNEL AT THE FACILITY FOUND NO MALFUNCTION OF THE LANDING GEAR SYS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,162 hours in all; 206 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 1,829 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,007 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 27, 1983; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-CB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Birmingham Aero Svc.
The flight
- Departed from: BHM Birmingham AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9, 9,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:48 pm from MGM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.