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Accidents · NTSB FTW04IA078 · Final report

Beech C90 incident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, February 19, 2004

On February 19, 2004 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Beech C90, registered N21, suffered minor damage in an incident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Will Rogers World 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 right main landing gear to extend due to an improperly installed attachment bolt by other maintenance personnel.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
February 19, 2004 · about 8:15 pm local time
Place
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Will Rogers World Airport · map
Type
Incident
Injuries
No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Beech C90 · all C90s on the register
Registration
N21 · no longer on the register · serial LJ-902
Damage
Minor damage
Flight
Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The crew reported the landing gear would not completely retract after take off, and only the right main came up while the gear motor continued to run. The left main and nose gear did not retract. The landing gear handle was cycled to the down position and the gear motor stopped running, but the right main landing gear failed to extend. The landing gear handle was cycled again, and the right main still would not extend. The crew used the emergency checklist, but the emergency gear extension handle was very hard to move, then it seemed to not catch anything at all. The crew made an emergency landing with the right main gear retracted. During the recovery process, a bolt, which attached the clutch shaft and nose gear drive sprocket, was found laying in the belly of the airplane. Examination of aircraft and maintenance records revealed the airplane underwent a phase inspection about a month prior to the event that included the replacement of the landing gear retraction gear box and clutch. The records indicated that this item was removed and an overhauled unit was reinstalled in accordance with the manufacturer's maintenance manual. According to the maintenance technician that performed the work, he used the manufacturer's maintenance manual as a step-by-step guide, and "all parts, nuts, bolts, cotter pin, etc, were intact when the final inspection was completed. New cotter pins were used to safety these items." After installation, the assembly and operational checks were inspected by his lead mechanic and an inspector. The gear was cycled approximately 12-15 times, and the "cavity" was vacuumed before the final inspection and the floor panels reinstalled. At the time of the incident, the airplane had flown a total of 21.9 hours, which included a total of 35 landings, after the phase inspection was completed. Nine days prior to the emergency landing, another flight crew reported that they were unable to retract all three landing gear while executing a go-around procedure. An examination revealed that a mechanic had removed the center and right floor boards and visually inspected the landing gear limit switches and engagement of the emergency extension disconnect assembly. Inspection of the limit switches consisted of visually inspecting the mount bracket and security of the switches and wiring. The mechanic also made a visual inspection of the wiring to the gear motor and engagement of the emergency extension disconnect, and engaged and disengaged "J" hook several times and found it operated normally. The visible portion of the nose gear chain was also examined for general condition. The floorboard panels were reinstalled, and the gear were cycled three times in five minutes, followed by four more cycles. All functional tests were normal and the airplane was returned to service. At the time of this inspection, the airplane had flown 11 hours since the phase 4 inspection, which included 17 landings.

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

Pilot

  • Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
  • Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 7,650 hours in all
  • Last flight review: December 15, 2003
  • Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
  • Seat: left
  • Injury: no injuries

Co-pilot

  • Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
  • Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 5,008 hours in all
  • Last flight review: January 27, 2004
  • Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
  • Seat: rgt
  • Injury: no injuries

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 11,420.5 hours
  • Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 23, 2004; 21.9 hours since
  • Seats: 7
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A Series (turboprop); 0 hours total
  • Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A series (turboprop); 0 hours total
  • Operator: National Flight Oversight Office/Faa

The flight

  • Departed from: ICT Wichita KS at 6:50 pm
  • Destination: OKC Oklahoma City OK
  • Runway 17R, 9,800 ft by 150 ft
  • A second pilot was aboard

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Wind: from 170° at 23 knots, gusting 28
  • Visibility: 10 statute miles
  • Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; clear
  • Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
  • Altimeter: 29.48 inHg
  • Observation at 8:52 pm from OKC

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Crew2

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.