Beech A200 accident near Cleveland, Ohio, October 9, 2002
On October 9, 2002 at about 7:18 pm local time, a Beech A200, registered N200NG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio (Burk Lakefront airport). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate operating clearance between the ring gear and pinion gear during the manufacturing process resulting in the failure of the landing gear actuator gear ring.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2002 · about 7:18 pm local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Burk Lakefront · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A200 · all A200s on the register
- Registration
- N200NG · no longer on the register · serial BC-22
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff, the right main landing gear would not retract. The crew attempted to troubleshoot the malfunction and tried to hand-pump the landing gear down, but were not successful. The captain made a landing to test the landing gear, but when it wouldn't hold, he aborted the landing. The captain made a subsequent landing and shut down the engines. As the airplane decelerated through 80 knots, the right main landing gear collapsed. After the accident, the airplane was placed on jacks, and when the gear handle was placed in either the up or down position, the landing gear motor rotated the torque tubes out to both main landing gear actuators, but the right main landing gear would not extend or retract. The right main landing gear actuator was forwarded to the airplane manufacturer for further examination. According to a company metallurgist's report, there was a fracture of the actuator housing inboard pivot hub flange, and a fracture through the shaft section of the pinion gear. Examination of internal components revealed fractures to most of the ring gear teeth, and a segment of metal was separated from a pinion gear tooth. Microscopic examination of ring gear fracture surfaces revealed arrest lines, "representative of progressive fracture." Metalographic examination of a polished and etched cross section of gear tooth revealed crack arrest lines, "again indicating cyclic progression of crack growth." Microscopic examination of ring gear tooth profile surfaces revealed "excessive polishing of the tooth faces, together with rounding of the tooth corners...typically representative of high tooth loads created by inadequate operating clearance between the ring gear and pinion gear."
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 7, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 4,800 as pilot in command; 205 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 7, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,405 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 1, 2002; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT-6 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT-6 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BKL Cleveland OH at 6:30 pm
- Destination: CRG Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24R, 6,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 210°F (99°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 7:18 pm from BKL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 IAD03TA003.