Beech 200 incident near Greeley, Colorado, May 8, 2001
On May 8, 2001 at about 6:56 pm local time, a Beech 200, registered N725MC, suffered minor damage in an incident near Greeley, Colorado (Greeley-Weld County airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
jamming of the nose landing gear actuator due to improper painting procedures by other maintenance personnel which resulted in a wheels up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2001 · about 6:56 pm local time
- Place
- Greeley, Colorado · Greeley-Weld County · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 200 · all 200s on the register
- Registration
- N725MC · no longer on the register · serial BB169
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff and during climb out, the pilot heard an unusual noise, "like a chain popping or slipping around a sprocket" when the landing gear was retracted. He then noticed the left main tire and inboard gear doors were visible beneath the engine nacelle. Unable to extend or retract the landing gear, the pilot diverted to another airport and made an intentional wheels up landing. Later disassembly and examination of the nose landing gear actuator (p/n 50-820208-5) revealed the nut assembly had been painted white while it was in the EXTEND position. After cleaning off the paint and reassembling the actuator, it moved freely in and out as required. The disassembly report stated, "The nut assembly is a chromed metal shaft that is not to be painted." According to the operator, the airplane had recently been repainted.
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
- Flight time: 2,478 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 2,059 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,050 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 15, 2001; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W PT6A-41 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W PT6A-41 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mountain Aviation, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 2:05 pm
- Destination: LAM Los Alamos
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 090, 6,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from GXY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.