Beech 200 accident near St. Louis, Missouri, December 11, 2009
On December 11, 2009, a Beech 200, registered N411BL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near St. Louis, Missouri (Lambert-St Louis International airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly follow the manual landing gear extension procedure, resulting in a gear-up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 11, 2009
- Place
- St. Louis, Missouri · Lambert-St Louis International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 200 · all 200s on the register
- Registration
- N411BL · no longer on the register · serial BB-448
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the landing gear failed to extend prior to landing. His attempts to manually extend the landing gear in accordance with the manual extension procedure from the airplane flight manual were not successful. He subsequently executed an emergency gear-up landing. A postaccident inspection revealed that the emergency gear engagement handle was not in the engaged position. When the handle was engaged, subsequent movement of the extension lever manually lowered the landing gear. Further examination revealed that the landing gear motor circuit breaker was open (popped). The landing gear motor and circuit breaker were located under the cabin floor aft of the forward wing spar. When the circuit breaker was reset and electrical power applied to the airplane, the landing gear was successfully extended using the normal procedure.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach (IFR final approach)
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Inoperative
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 7,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 20, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,648 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 25, 2009; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PT6A-60A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PT6A-60A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Butler Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: MKC Kansas City MO
- Destination: STL St. Louis MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 7,602 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.