Beech 65-A80 accident near Midland, Texas, July 17, 2008
On July 17, 2008 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Beech 65-A80, registered N6AQ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Midland, Texas (Midland International airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
The failure of the landing gear retraction/extension mechanism due to it being jammed by displaced sound proofing material.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2008 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Midland, Texas · Midland International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A80 · all 65-A80s on the register
- Registration
- N6AQ · registry record · serial LD-214
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot elected to return to the airport following the display of an unsafe landing gear light. Following a flyby and visual check by the airport's control tower, the pilot proceeded to land. During touchdown the main landing gear collapsed and the airplane's belly sustained structural damage. An examination of the landing gear revealed that the failure was due to sound proofing material being caught in the landing gear retraction/extension mechanism.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,000 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,429 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 8,800 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IGSO-540-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Western Air Express Inc
The flight
- Departed from: MAF Midland TX
- Destination: E38 Alpine TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 10, 8,302 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.