Beech 200 accident near Gulfport, Mississippi, March 7, 2022
On March 7, 2022 at about 3:30 am local time, a 1980 Beech 200, registered N8170J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Gulfport, Mississippi (Gulfport-Biloxi International airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the right main landing gear actuator, which led to 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
- March 7, 2022 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Gulfport, Mississippi · Gulfport-Biloxi International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 200, built 1980 · all 200s on the register
- Registration
- N8170J · no longer on the register · serial BB728
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on an instrument approach when the pilot attempted to extend the landing gear. During the gear extension process, the passengers heard a “loud bang” under the floor panels, and the pilot reported that the gear would not extend. The pilot diverted to another airport and attempted to extend the landing gear manually, which was unsuccessful as the landing gear system was jammed. The pilot landed with the gear retracted and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. A postaccident examination of the landing gear revealed that the gear was still jammed and could not be actuated with the gear handle or by manual extension. The right landing gear drive shaft was unable to rotate and exhibited a binding during the rotation attempt. The examination and disassembly of the right main landing gear actuator revealed that the initial failure originated between the bevel gear set. The pinion gear and driven gear exhibited damage and fractures of their respective teeth. The cracked teeth and pitch line pitting present on the pinion gear indicate that it exhibited fatigue wear prior to the failure of the bevel gears. The final surface of the driven gear was significantly smeared, which obstructed the examination and analysis of the surfaces for fatigue-like cracks and wear patterns. Although the failure was within the bevel gear set, the initiating gear failure could not be determined due to the damage. The pinion gear had effective case depth but did not meet the drawing requirements for minimum case hardness. The driven gear did not show evidence of case hardening and did not meet the drawing requirements for both effective case depth and minimum case hardness. Since the bevel gear set were operational for more than 12,000 cycles, it is likely that the case hardness did not contribute to the gear failure.
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 landing defining event
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear actuator › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,726 hours in all; 5,179 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 16,431 as pilot in command; 2,713 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 17, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,164.3 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 20, 2021; 70.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6-41 (turboprop); 12,334 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6-41 (turboprop); 11,920 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Hlaf Aeta LLC
The flight
- Departed from: BGD Borger TX
- Destination: GPT Gulfport MS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 9,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 9:24 pm from KGPT
Weather report (METAR): KGPT 070324Z AUTO 14012KT 7SM BKN006 BKN015 OVC022 21/20 A3008 RMK AO2 T02110200
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2024. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 22 pages | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Investigation Summary | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Reports from Parties to the Investigation - Textron | PDF, 40 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Landing Gear Actuator - Component Maintenance Manual Excerpt | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | FAA Inspector's Email | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | 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.