Beech B55 accident near Lynchburg, Virginia, April 27, 1996
On April 27, 1996 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Beech B55, registered N1580W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lynchburg, Virginia (Preston Glenn Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop/swerve and landing gear collapse. A related factor was the strong crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 1996 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lynchburg, Virginia · Preston Glenn Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B55 · all B55s on the register
- Registration
- N1580W · no longer on the register · serial TC-1443
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that when he completed his preflight inspection of the airplane, he noticed that the right main landing gear strut was flat. A mechanic inflated the strut, and the pilot took off. During the landing roll on runway 21 at the destination airport, when the nosewheel touched the runway, the aircraft veered to the left. The pilot applied full right rudder and brake, but the aircraft exited the runway collapsing the main landing gear. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction and that the ground loop forces caused the main landing gear to collapse from side forces. The pilot stated that the winds were out of 240 degrees at 18 knots. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of preimpact anomaly.
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: 9,838 hours in all; 6,700 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 9,838 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 13, 1996; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISP Islip NY at 4:00 pm
- Destination: LYH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 5,799 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.