Beech E 55 accident near New Richmond, Wisconsin, April 22, 1990
On April 22, 1990 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Beech E 55, registered N17577, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Richmond, Wisconsin (New Richmond Municipal airport). It was a personal 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
PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE LANDING GEAR MECHANISM DURING THE LANDING ROLL, WHICH RESULTED IN THE PARTIAL COLLAPSE OF THE LANDING GEAR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1990 · about 5:30 pm local time · cases in 1990
- Place
- New Richmond, Wisconsin · New Richmond Municipal · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E 55 · all E 55s on the register
- Registration
- N17577 · registry record · serial TE-1091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS DURING THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN; HIS PASSENGER AND A GROUND WITNESS CONFIRMED THAT THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED DURING THE FINAL APPROACH AND TOUCHDOWN PHASE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE VISUALLY VERIFIED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, BUT SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE LEFT WING STARTED LOWERING AS THE LEFT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MALFUNCTION; THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE 'ENTIRE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM WAS IN A TRANSIT MODE....DURING THE LANDING ROLL....' THE PILOT STATED THAT HE MIGHT HAVE INADVERTENTLY RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR, BUT HE DID NOT REMEMBER.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,746 hours in all; 173 in this make and model; 182 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 2,557 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,837 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 8, 1989; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from MSP, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N17577 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beechcraft E-55 215 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-520 9,485 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- New Richmond Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,622 since 1982 · 228 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,164 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI90LA116.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.