Beech 58 accident near Farmington, New Mexico, October 26, 2001
On October 26, 2001 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N8117V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farmington, New Mexico (Four Corners Regional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the nose gear actuator retract arm due to fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2001 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Farmington, New Mexico · Four Corners Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N8117V · no longer on the register · serial TH-1628
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that as the gear was retracted, following a low approach, a "loud bang or clank," was heard. The landing gear in-transit light remained illuminated and the flight proceeded to a practice area where the pilots consulted with the flight school's maintenance personnel via radio. Attempts to correct the gear problem were unsuccessful. The flight then returned to the airport and executed a low pass near the air traffic control tower (ATCT). ATCT personnel reported that both main landing gear appeared down and locked, but the nose landing gear appeared to be partially extended. Subsequently, the airplane landed, and when the nose gear made ground contact, it collapsed. Post landing examination of the airplane revealed that the nose gear actuator retract arm had fractured and was in two pieces. The nose gear actuator retract arm was examined at the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C. It was determined that the retract arm fractured as a result of fatigue cracking that initiated at multiple origins along machining marks on the upper surface of the fracture.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, 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: 1,957 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 1,837 as pilot in command; 1,560 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 8, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 291 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 192 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,842.6 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 23, 2001; 11.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMN Farmington NM at 8:00 pm
- Destination: FMN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 2,783 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from FMN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.