Beech BE99 accident near Cedartown, Georgia, April 10, 2011
On April 10, 2011 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Beech BE99, registered N899AE, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Cedartown, Georgia (Polk County Airport- Cornelius). It was a skydiving 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 failure of the left main landing gear bearings and supports due to inadequate lubrication by unknown maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2011 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Cedartown, Georgia · Polk County Airport- Cornelius · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE99
- Registration
- N899AE · no longer on the register · serial U23
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot received an unsafe landing gear indication for the left main landing gear when he configured the airplane for landing. He cycled the gear and then attempted a manual extension, both without success. The pilot then completed the landing on the nose and right main landing gear. A postaccident examination of the left main landing gear actuator revealed that the supports for the actuator bearings lacked lubrication and that the bearings displayed wear due to inadequate lubrication. The overhauled actuator had accumulated 377.5 hours and 285 cycles since overhaul and was installed about 31 months before the accident; the manufacturer's maintenance manual prescribed lubrication of the retract actuator and actuator support bearings every 1,000 cycles or 30 months (whichever occurs first). It could not be determined if inadequate lubrication was applied at installation or if a loss of lubrication was not detected in subsequent inspections. The manufacturer’s maintenance manual cautioned: "When washing the airplane with soap and water, use special care to avoid washing grease away from lubricated area. After washing the wheel well areas with solvent, lubricate all lubrication points. Premature wear of the lubricated surfaces may result if these precautions are not observed."
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear actuator › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,200 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 7, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 48,953 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 14, 2011; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4A4 Cedartown GA at 3:10 pm
- Destination: 4A4 Cedartown GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from PUJ, 12 miles away
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.