Beech 99 accident near Waterville, Maine, October 14, 2020
On October 14, 2020 at about 12:20 pm local time, a 1969 Beech 99, registered N499CZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Waterville, Maine (Waterville Robert Lafleur Airp airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the right main landing gear drag leg support fitting and angle bracket as a result of multiple areas of fatigue cracking.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 2020 · about 12:20 pm local time
- Place
- Waterville, Maine · Waterville Robert Lafleur Airp · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 99 A, built 1969 · all 99s on the register
- Registration
- N499CZ · registry record · serial U-81
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While taxiing to the ramp, the airplane’s right main landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. Examination of the right main landing gear drag leg support fitting and angle bracket revealed several areas of fatigue cracking with multiple origins. The attach angle bracket fracture exhibited features consistent with fatigue. The reason for the crack initiation could not be determined. A review of the maintenance procedures performed on the right main landing gear 8 days prior to the accident found that they instructed the mechanic to add grease to the drag leg fitting. The procedures did not specify to examine the landing gear for fatigue cracking or anomalies; therefore, it is unlikely that the mechanic would have looked in the area of the cracked main landing gear drag leg support fitting and angle bracket. Furthermore, there was no nondestructive testing procedures for examining the main landing gear drag brace, so it’s unlikely an inspection would have detected the multiple areas of fatigue cracking.
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 taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear attach sec › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,656 hours in all; 577 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,081 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 18, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 39,544.4 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 6, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 10,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 (turboprop); 5,817 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 (turboprop); 11,791 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MHT Manchester NH at 11:06 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 am from KWVL
Weather report (METAR): KWVL 141156Z AUTO 33003KT 10SM CLR 10/09 A2972 RMK AO2 SLP093 60002 70224 T01000089 10100 20083 51015
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA21LA021.