Butler Aircraft Company AEROSTAR accident near Brooksville, Florida, October 1, 2009
On October 1, 2009 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Butler Aircraft Company AEROSTAR, registered N81FW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Brooksville, Florida (Hernando County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 collapse of the nose landing gear during landing rollout for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 2009 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Brooksville, Florida · Hernando County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Butler Aircraft Company AEROSTAR 601
- Registration
- N81FW · no longer on the register · serial 61-0049-94
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner selected the landing gear to the extended position in preparation for landing. The amber light, which was designed to illuminate temporarily to indicate that the gear was in transit, did not illuminate during the gear extension, but all other indications were normal. After touchdown on the paved runway, the nose gear did not remain extended and the airplane pitched down until the nose contacted the runway surface. The airplane came to a stop on the runway and sustained substantial damage. Preliminary examination revealed that the cockpit landing gear position indicator lights functioned properly. However, lack of replacement parts availability had prevented the repair of the airplane through at least January 2011, and the detailed functional checks and examinations that were planned to be conducted concurrently with the repair have not been accomplished. Maintenance records documented several recent, preaccident repairs to the nose and main landing gear systems, but it could not be determined whether the nose gear collapse was related to those maintenance activities.
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 › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,847 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 1,633 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 11, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,232 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 26, 2009; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,700 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPG St Petersburg FL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: BKV Brooksville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 5,015 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BKV
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.