Beech 65-A90-1 accident near Petersburg, West Virginia, May 18, 2023
On May 18, 2023 at about 3:59 pm local time, a 1967 Beech 65-A90-1, registered N80Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Petersburg, West Virginia (Grant County Airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew’s failure to ensure that the landing gear were properly configured before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2023 · about 3:59 pm local time
- Place
- Petersburg, West Virginia · Grant County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A90-1, built 1967 · all 65-A90-1s on the register
- Registration
- N80Y · registry record · serial LM-79
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and the flight instructor were performing flight training in the turbo-propeller-powered, multi-engine airplane. After completing two uneventful takeoffs and landings, the instructor and the pilot briefed that they would next perform a no-flap landing. While on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot called for the before landing checklist. The instructor began reading the checklist, the pilot pushed the propeller controls fully forward, and the flight instructor mentioned that the pilot needed to hold the airplane’s attitude in order to slow the airplane to the desired airspeed. The flight instructor further described, “I was coaching the [pilot] on centerline and speed and neither of us realized that we had not completed the landing checklist.” During the landing flare, the flight instructor heard a metallic scraping sound, and began to abort the landing, about which time the pilot noted that the landing gear was not extended. After two attempts to increase engine power and climb, the flight instructor realized that the airplane was not controllable and decided to land on the grass next to the runway with the landing gear retracted. The airplane’s right wing was substantially damaged during the landing. The operator reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, nor did either of the flight crew report any, with the exception that neither crewmember recalled hearing the landing gear position warning system horn activate at any point. Maintenance personnel tested the system following the accident and noted no anomalies.
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 not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- 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
- Flight time: 8,425 hours in all; 328 in this make and model; 168 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 6,640 as pilot in command; 866 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 31, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,104 hours in all; 720 in this make and model; 206 in the last 90 days; 86 in the last 30 days; 750 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 21,534.2 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 27, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 9,650 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28 (turboprop); 12,631 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28 (turboprop); 13,821 hours total
- Operator: Dynamic Aviation Group, INC.
The flight
- Runway 31, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 12:05 pm from KCBE, 40 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCBE 181605Z AUTO 18006KT 10SM CLR 16/03 A3027 RMK AO2 T01610030
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ERA23LA237.