Beech 58 incident near Lexington, Kentucky, December 10, 2009
On December 10, 2009 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N391MC, suffered minor damage in an incident during approach (VFR go-around) near Lexington, Kentucky (Blue Grass 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 overstress failure of the nose landing gear aft drag brace.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 10, 2009 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Kentucky · Blue Grass Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N391MC · registry record · serial TH-756
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilots were practicing instrument approaches and performed a missed approach. At that time, the landing gear was retracted and the corresponding gear retracted cockpit indication was noted; however, the approach controller advised the pilots that the nose landing gear appeared to remain in the extended position. The pilots then selected the nose landing gear to the extended position and noted the corresponding gear extended cockpit indication. During a subsequent landing, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid to a stop on the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the right side of the nose landing gear aft drag brace had separated. Metallurgical examination revealed that the origin point of the fracture was consistent with overstress, and the fracture extended from the origin point over a significant period of time. The airplane had accumulated over 10,000 hours of flight time, and the initiation of the overstress event was most likely the result of a previous hard landing or landings. Review of the maintenance manual for the make and model airplane revealed that the nose gear was an "on condition" inspection item; however, the fracture was in an area that would not be easily visible or detected by a mechanic during an inspection.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,381 hours in all; 1,663 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 17,043 as pilot in command; 6,540 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 30, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,478 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 3,130 as pilot in command; 2,324 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 9, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,437 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 9, 2009; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Lexington INC
The flight
- Departed from: LEX Lexington KY at 3:20 pm
- Destination: LEX Lexington KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 7,003 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,400 ft; a few clouds at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from LEX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.