Beech F90 accident near Knoxville, Tennessee, May 18, 2020
On May 18, 2020 at about 3:10 pm local time, a 1980 Beech F90, registered N960V, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Knoxville, Tennessee (Mc Ghee Tyson Airport). It was an executive or corporate 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
A failure of the left main landing gear scissors, which resulted in a landing gear collapse following a precautionary landing with the landing gear in an intermediate position..
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2020 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Knoxville, Tennessee · Mc Ghee Tyson Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F90 UNDESIGNAT, built 1980 · all F90s on the register
- Registration
- N960V · no longer on the register · serial LA-31
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot moved the landing gear handle to the retract position, and the red “gear unsafe” light illuminated. The pilot conducted a low-altitude approach so that the tower controller could visually confirm the condition of the landing gear; the tower controller reported that the nose landing gear appeared “slanted.” The pilot then performed the unsafe gear checklist and attempted to manually lower the landing gear, but the red gear unsafe light remained illuminated. During a subsequent low-altitude approach, the controller indicated that the main gear appeared down but that the nose gear did not appear to be fully down and locked. The pilot performed a precautionary landing, and, shortly after touchdown, the main and nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded to a stop. Examination of the left main landing gear revealed that the landing gear scissors had fractured at the bolt attachment area and that the landing gear was twisted sideways and jammed against the main gear doors. The landing gear circuit breaker that controlled the landing gear motor had popped. The airplane manufacturer’s landing gear manual extension procedure required the emergency gear selector handle to be in the STOP detent. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the handle was not placed in the STOP detent; however, it could not be determined, from the available evidence for this investigation, if the landing gear manual extension procedure could have been successfully accomplished with the landing gear system failure that occurred during the accident flight.
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 initial climb defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear actuator › Damaged/degraded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,411 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 5,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 14, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,532 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 20, 2019; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT-6A (turboprop); 1,339 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT-6A (turboprop); 1,339 hours total
- Operator: Empire Equipment Llc
The flight
- Departed from: TYS Knoxville TN at 2:50 pm
- Destination: HXD Hilton Head Island SC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24L, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from TYS, 1 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
8 documents, released by the NTSB on May 16, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation_pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Record Excerpt_landing Gear Overhaul | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Landing Gear System POH Excerpt | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Preliminary Findings on Gear Email | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Airport Security Camera Showing Accident | AVI file | Download |
| 7 | Record of Conversation_salvage Company | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo Array_accident Site and Airplane Damage | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N960V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.