Swearingen SA227 accident near El Paso, Texas, July 27, 2019
On July 27, 2019 at about 11:35 am local time, a 1987 Swearingen SA227, registered N681TR, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near El Paso, Texas (El Paso Int'L airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 the left main landing gear to fully extend due to a lack of hydraulic fluid and during emergency extension procedures, which resulted in the collapse of the landing gear during landing and the subsequent runway excursion and collision with a sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2019 · about 11:35 am local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · El Paso Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA227 AC, built 1987 · all SA227s on the register
- Registration
- N681TR · registry record · serial AC682
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain noted that the purpose of the flight was second-in-command pilot training for the first officer and the observer, in turn. He reported that after takeoff, the landing gear retracted normally. The captain executed a practice instrument approach to a missed approach. When they attempted to retract the landing gear after initiating the missed approach, the left main gear in-transit light remained illuminated. The right main and nose landing gears retracted normally. Both hydraulic system low pressure warning lights subsequently illuminated. Efforts to troubleshoot using the emergency checklist and to extend the landing gear manually were not successful. The captain ultimately landed the airplane with the left main landing gear partially extended and subsequently lost directional control, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with an airport sign. The airplane sustained damage to the outboard left wing, left main landing gear, and left propeller. During a postaccident examination, hydraulic fluid was observed in the left main landing gear wheel well; no hydraulic fluid was observed in the reservoir sight gauge or on the dip stick. Hydraulic pressure was subsequently applied to the airplane, and no leaks were observed in the landing gear system. Thus, the source of the hydraulic fluid leak could not be determined. In addition, the reason that the landing gear failed to fully extend during the emergency extension procedure could not be determined because no preaccident anomalies were observed.
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 (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Hydraulic power system › Hydraulic, main system › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,950 hours in all; 3,900 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 4,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 20, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 14 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 23,963 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 20, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 14,500 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garrett TPE331 (turboprop); 22,793 hours total
- Engine 2: Garrett TPE331 (turboprop); 25,522 hours total
- Operator: Pak West Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: ELP El Paso TX at 10:30 am
- Destination: ELP El Paso TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26L, 9,025 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 11:41 am from ELP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
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 CEN19LA246.