Beech 58 accident near Cahokia, Illinois, January 23, 2008
On January 23, 2008 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N4626A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Cahokia, Illinois (St. Louis/Downtown airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel's improper replacement of the landing gear leg brace assembly which subsequently failed to keep the landing gear in the locked position.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 23, 2008 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Cahokia, Illinois · St. Louis/Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N4626A · no longer on the register · serial TH-39
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while landing, during the post maintenance test flight, he felt "a falling motion to the back right." He aborted the landing and flew by the control tower for a landing gear check. He was informed the landing gear appeared down. He then returned to his departure airport and while landing there he felt the right wing drop closer to the ground than normal. He aborted the landing again and began to troubleshoot the landing gear system. The pilot flew by the air traffic control tower two more times and performed the Emergency Gear Extension checklist. The pilot then used the Gear-Up Landing emergency checklist and landed the airplane. During the landing roll the right main gear collapsed and the right wing contacted the runway. As a result, the right wing and aileron were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that he had received a gear down and locked indication every time he extended the landing gear during the flight. The post accident inspection of the landing gear revealed that it could be released from the down and locked position by pushing on it with hand pressure. The leg brace portion of the landing gear retract brace assembly was replaced during the annual inspection. The leg brace that was installed was not purchased from Beechcraft. According to Beechcraft they do not sell the leg brace as a separate item from the upper brace assembly because of the close tolerance required between the two braces in order for the gear to properly lock in the extended position. There is no information in the BE-58 maintenance manual which indicating that the upper brace assembly and the leg brace must be replaced as a unit for the main landing gear.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Replacement › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: 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: 1,601 hours in all; 71 in this make and model; 229 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 1,466 as pilot in command; 475 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,385 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-CB7B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CPS Cahokia IL at 3:20 pm
- Destination: CPS Cahokia IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30L, 6,997 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from CPS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
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.