Beech D55 accident near Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 11, 2024
On June 11, 2024 at about 3:00 am local time, a 1968 Beech D55, registered N321N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Colorado Springs, Colorado (City Of Colorado Springs Munic airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The deflated right main landing gear tire due to a sidewall puncture made by an unknown object, which led to the pilot’s loss of directional control and the landing gear collapse during landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2024 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Colorado Springs, Colorado · City Of Colorado Springs Munic · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D55, built 1968 · all D55s on the register
- Registration
- N321N · registry record · serial TE-583
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the pilot-receiving-instruction were conducting a nighttime currency/proficiency flight when, after an uneventful landing flare and touchdown, the airplane began to vibrate and veer right during the landing roll. The pilot-receiving-instruction, who was the pilot flying during the landing, released toe brake input but the vibration increased as the airplane continued to veer right. Ultimately, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright in the grass adjacent to the runway. The right wing main spar was substantially damaged when the right wing struck the ground after the landing gear collapsed. Examination of the right main landing gear tire and its tube revealed a sidewall puncture. The puncture was made by an unknown small, sharp object, which left a clean cut on the tube sidewall that measured about 0.25-inch long with the tube deflated, and 0.375-inch long when the tube was reinflated. During the landing roll, it is likely that the tube lost enough pressure that it began to move around the wheel rim until the valve stem severed and there was total loss of remaining tire pressure. The increasing vibration felt by the pilots during landing roll is consistent with a progressive loss of tire pressure, and the increased drag from the deflated right tire would explain airplane’s tendency to veer right. The right main landing gear likely collapsed when the over-center down lock assembly disengaged due to an excessive sideload during the right swerve.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during unknown
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Tire casing › Damaged/degraded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Tube › Damaged/degraded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Ability to respond/compensate
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,399 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,399 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 9, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,153 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 4,706 as pilot in command; 2,703 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 19, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,891 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 10, 2024; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,324 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 2,873 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 2,873 hours total
- Operator: Peterson Space Force Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: COS Colorado Springs CO at 1:18 am
- Destination: COS Colorado Springs CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17R, 11,022 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from COS, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCOS 110254Z 19004KT 10SM FEW120 BKN200 BKN250 20/13 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP117 T02000128 50005 $=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN24LA227.