Beech F17D accident near Moscow, Tennessee, October 3, 2008
On October 3, 2008 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Beech F17D, registered N18555, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Moscow, Tennessee (Hawk'S Nest Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The mechanical failure of the landing gear actuation chain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2008 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Moscow, Tennessee · Hawk'S Nest Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F17D · all F17Ds on the register
- Registration
- N18555 · registry record · serial 157
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot/owner of the Beech F17D Staggerwing biplane, on the day of the accident, he took a passenger on a brief local flight, and then they returned for some landings and takeoffs. The winds were calm, and the first landing was uneventful. The pilot took off again, circuited the traffic pattern, and landed a second time. Shortly after touchdown, the airplane began to "sink." The pilot tried to raise the nose to offload the landing gear, and he shut down the engine, while the airplane continued to settle. The propeller struck the ground, and the airplane settled on the right lower wing before it came to a stop. The aft fuselage, propeller, lower cowl and outboard spar of the right lower wing were damaged. Postaccident examination indicated that the chain used to retract and extend the right main landing gear had fractured, which resulted in the partial retraction of the landing gear. According to maintenance records, the chain was installed new in the airplane in 1969, and it had accumulated approximately 910 hours in service. The pilot/owner estimated that the chain had accumulated 1,800 cycles, with each cycle consisting of one retraction and one extension. Visual examination revealed 29 fractures in the outer chain plates, and two completely fractured outer plates, not including the chain failure point. All fractures were oriented radially with respect to the link pivots. Every outer plate was stamped with the notation "ACME 40 SINGAPORE." The National Transportation Safety Board was unable to determine whether this failure mode was limited to this make and model chain. The airplane was manufactured in 1937, and the manufacturer had not established any time or cycle life limits for the chain.
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 (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,659 hours in all; 518 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 2,150 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 17, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,922 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 3,590 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Jacobs L6MB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4TN3 Moscow TN
- Destination: 4TN3 Moscow TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from OLV, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.