Swearingen SA26-T accident near Dallas, Texas, January 25, 1985
On January 25, 1985 at about 3:05 am local time, a Swearingen SA26-T, registered N600P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dallas, Texas (Love airport). It was a business 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 1985 · about 3:05 am local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · Love · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA26-T · all SA26-Ts on the register
- Registration
- N600P · no longer on the register · serial T26-6
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL & THE ACFT DROPPED TO THE RWY SURFACE & SLID TO A STOP. NO OBVIOUS REASON FOR THE UNWANTED RETRACTION WAS NOTED BY FAA MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WHO DID A POST ACCIDENT EXAM OF THE ACFT. THE GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE WAS FOUND IN THE 'GEAR EXTENDED' POSITION. AN EXAM REVEALED THE GEAR HANDLE COULD EASILY BE MOVED THRU ITS FULL RANGE OF TRAVEL EVEN THOUGH IT WAS MOVED THRU A DENTENT. ALSO, THE PLT'S SEAT ARM WOULD LIGHTLY TOUCH THE GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE WHEN THE SEAT WAS FULL FOWARD.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,224 hours in all; 381 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 5,959 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,300 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 10, 1984; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,062 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: TPL Temple TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 31R, 7,751 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:12 am from DAL
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.