Beech 95-C55 accident near Delta, Colorado, January 18, 2017
On January 18, 2017 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1966 Beech 95-C55, registered N303QB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Delta, Colorado (Blake Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the landing gear to extend during landing approach due to the interference between the landing gear motor's sector and worm gears.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 2017 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Delta, Colorado · Blake Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-C55, built 1966 · all 95-C55s on the register
- Registration
- N303QB · no longer on the register · serial TE-53
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a gear-up landing after the private pilot was unable to extend the landing gear. Postaccident examination of the landing gear motor revealed that the sector gear teeth were partially sheared and were bound with the worm gear teeth, resulting in interference. Once the gear was turned past the sheared area, the assembly functioned with no anomalies. Review of maintenance logs revealed that the most recent annual inspection, which included the landing gear system, was completed about 6 months before the accident with no anomalies noted.
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
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,239.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 19, 2016
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 5,598 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from AJZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Request to Pilot for NTSB Form 6120 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Email Request to Pilot for NTSB Form 6120 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Email of Gearbox Examination Results | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Aircraft Logbook | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.