Swearingen SA-226AT accident near West Memphis, Arkansas, May 19, 2010
On May 19, 2010 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Swearingen SA-226AT, registered N427SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near West Memphis, Arkansas (West Memphis Municipal airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of both pilots to ensure that the airplane was properly configured for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2010 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- West Memphis, Arkansas · West Memphis Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-226AT · all SA-226ATs on the register
- Registration
- N427SP · registry record · serial AT018
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The two airline transport pilots were conducting a full-stop landing at their home airport. The pilot in the left seat was flying the airplane and the pilot in the right seat was conducting an Initial Operating Experience (IOE) assessment. The airplane was put on a 5 to 8 mile final as the pilot read and quickly completed the checklist. The airplane was configured with full flaps and when the pilot went to actuate the landing gear he diverted his attention to his deteriorating airspeed and glide path deviation. The pilot made the necessary correction to stabilize the approach. At 500 feet above the ground, the pilot glanced over to the gear indicator and thought he saw "three down." The pilot continued the approach and the airplane landed with the gear in the retracted position. Neither pilot reported hearing the gear warning horn which should have actuated when the pilot selected greater than half flaps and the gear was not properly configured.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,400 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 7,161 as pilot in command; 1,296 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 25, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,422 hours in all; 6,368 in this make and model; 94 in the last 30 days; 13,222 as pilot in command; 2,700 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 30, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,316.1 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 14, 2010; 45 hours since
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garrett TPE331-3U-303 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Garrett TPE331-3U-303 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mcneely Charter Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: KOPF Miami FL at 6:51 pm
- Destination: KAWM West Memphis AR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 6,003 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KAWM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10CA261.