Beech F33A accident near Sanford, North Carolina, April 24, 2026
On April 24, 2026 at about 4:15 pm local time, a 1981 Beech F33A, registered N85WM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Sanford, North Carolina (Raleigh Exec Jetport At Sanfor 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
A loss of electrical power as a result of broken stator leads within the alternator, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to extend the airplane’s landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 2026 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sanford, North Carolina · Raleigh Exec Jetport At Sanfor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F33A, built 1981 · all F33As on the register
- Registration
- N85WM · registry record · serial CE-943
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after practicing instrument approaches with the flight instructor, they were returning to the airport. While in the traffic pattern, the pilot lowered the flaps with no problems noted, but as he attempted to lower the landing gear, the airplane lost electrical power. The pilot performed a low pass of the airport and reported that individuals on the ground confirmed that the landing gear were down, but they were unsure if they were in the locked position. The pilot then attempted to lower the landing gear with the hand crank, and he managed to make about 20 total turns (of about 50 normally needed to fully extend the landing gear) before he was unable to turn the crank any further. During the subsequent landing, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. Postaccident examination flight data recovered from avionics onboard the airplane revealed that shortly after departing on the accident flight, current parameter indicated a discharge from the battery for the remainder of the flight and electrical bus voltage began to slowly decrease. A postaccident examination and functional test of the alternator revealed that the case halves of the alternator had vibrated apart and that the alternator had was not functioning. It was disassembled and the stator leads were found to be broken at the rectifier attachment point.
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
- Electrical system malf/failure during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Alternator › generator drive sys › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 289.3 hours in all; 115.3 in this make and model; 10.8 in the last 90 days; 2.6 in the last 30 days; 179.9 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 4, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,078.3 hours in all; 32.6 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 30, 2025
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,776.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 16, 2025; 11.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Aerospace Technolo IO-520-BB (piston); 5,788 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,501 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from TTA
Weather report (METAR): METAR KTTA 261615Z AUTO 05007KT 10SM OVC015 15/13 A3000 RMK AO2 T01500127
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N85WM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ERA26LA191.