Beech 200 accident near St Louis, Missouri, February 6, 2020
On February 6, 2020 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1981 Beech 200, registered N405PT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near St Louis, Missouri (Spirit Of St Louis 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 loss of directional control and the subsequent nose landing gear collapse of for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 2020 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- St Louis, Missouri · Spirit Of St Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 200 B200, built 1981 · all 200s on the register
- Registration
- N405PT · registry record · serial BB-930
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a cross-country flight; during departure, the pilot heard the main landing gear retract but the main landing gear indication remained red, indicating the gear were in transit. During the approach to the destination airport, the pilot heard the main landing gear extend but did not see three green landing gear indications. The pilot visually confirmed the main landing gear were extended, and the controller confirmed during a low pass that all three landing gear were extended. The pilot completed the emergency landing gear extension procedure and felt resistance on the handle, consistent with the landing gear being extended, so he believed that there was a wiring issue with the landing gear indicator. The pilot reported that he attempted to slow the airplane as much as possible before touching down and that the landing seemed normal until the airplane veered hard to the left. The pilot attempted to correct with the application of right rudder and right brake; however, the airplane departed the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, including the collapse of all three landing gear. Skid marks and propeller strike indications on the runway were consistent with the nose landing gear collapsing before departing the runway surface. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear upper drag brace, the nose landing gear actuator, and the nose landing gear steering links were all fractured during the accident sequence. However, the damage to the nose landing gear assembly precluded further testing, and investigators were not able to determine which component failed first, so the reason for the loss of control on landing and subsequent gear collapse could not be determined from the available information.
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 collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,075 hours in all; 1,325 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 3,953 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 11, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,065.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 5, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42 (turboprop); 8,874 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42 (turboprop); 8,874 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORK North Little Rock AR at 7:00 pm
- Destination: SUS St Louis MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26L, 7,485 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from KSUS, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 29, 2020. 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, 19 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Records for Prior Phase Inspection | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record for FAA Exam | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Site 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.