Beech 55 accident near Athens, Texas, August 22, 2020
On August 22, 2020, a 1972 Beech 55, registered N1621W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Athens, Texas (Athens Municipal Airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear during the approach and landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2020
- Place
- Athens, Texas · Athens Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 55 95B55, built 1972
- Registration
- N1621W · registry record · serial TC-1455
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot and private pilot rated passenger departed on a local, personal flight. The pilot reported that he failed to extend the landing gear before landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage ribs and stringers. He said that the landing gear warning did not sound through the headsets, so the sound was faint and that the gear warning sounded like the stall warning, which was “confusing.” The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 25,400 hours in all; 0.8 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 18,750 as pilot in command; 2,300 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 11, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 297 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 224 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 23, 2020
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-470 (piston); 300 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-470 (piston); 300 hours total
The flight
- Runway 18, 3,988 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from F44
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 5, 2021. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 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.