Beech 76 accident near El Cajon, California, June 27, 2006
On June 27, 2006 at about 6:20 pm local time, a Beech 76, registered N6720T, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Cajon, California (Gillespie Field). 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 "A" frame tube, which caused the left main landing gear to collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2006 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- El Cajon, California · Gillespie Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 76 · all 76s on the register
- Registration
- N6720T · registry record · serial ME-335
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's left main landing gear collapsed during the landing rollout. After performing maneuvers in the practice area, the flight instructor and student proceeded to a nearby airport to practice touch-and-goes. As they approached the airport traffic pattern, the student pilot moved the gear selector to the down position. Once the gear was down they noticed that the left main gear down light was not illuminated. They recycled the landing gear, but still received the same indication. A low approach and flyby past the tower confirmed that the gear was in the down position. The instructor decided to return to his home airport instead of landing at this airport. While en route, the instructor and student inspected the light bulbs of the indicator light and found them to be operating properly. They recycled the gear one more time. While doing this, the gear motor circuit breaker popped, and they smelled smoke in the cockpit. They pulled the landing gear circuit breakers immediately and the smoke smell cleared. The pilots extended the landing gear using the manual extension checklist. Once the gear came down, they still had the same unsafe gear indication. The instructor yawed the airplane in an attempt to lock the gear, but received the same unsafe indication. Upon arriving at his home airport, the instructor touched down using a soft-field landing technique. As the airplane decelerated, the left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing tip and the propeller struck the runway. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the main landing gear after the accident. They found the left main landing gear "A" frame tube had failed. Airworthiness Directive 97-06-10 requires repetitive inspection of the main landing gear "A" frame assemblies for cracks and lubrication, and requires the replacement of any assembly found cracked. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent main landing gear failure and collapse because of a cracked "A" frame assembly. A review of the aircraft records indicated that AD 97-06-10 had been complied with during the last 100-hour inspection on June 21, 2006. This aircraft is operated by a flight school and the maintenance records show that it is operated at an activity level where a 100-hour inspection is accomplished once every 30 days or so.
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: 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: 2,081 hours in all; 267 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,986 as pilot in command; 1,695 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 92 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 55 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,119 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360-AIG6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-360-AIG6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSEE El Cajon CA at 10:20 am
- Destination: KSEE El Cajon CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27R, 5,341 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 6:47 pm from SEE
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.