Beech D55 accident near Monterey, California, January 24, 1984
On January 24, 1984 at about 6:34 pm local time, a Beech D55, registered N873LB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monterey, California (Monterey Peninsula airport). It was a personal 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 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 24, 1984 · about 6:34 pm local time
- Place
- Monterey, California · Monterey Peninsula · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D55 · all D55s on the register
- Registration
- N873LB · no longer on the register · serial 711
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE EXTENDED THE GEAR & FLAPS BEFORE LANDING, & ON FINAL APCH, HE RECHECKED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN & THE GREEN GEAR DOWN & LOCKED LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. HE & BOTH PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE WHEELS, THEN IT SETTLED ON ITS BELLY & SLID TO A STOP. AFTER STOPPING A FIRE STARTED BUT WAS CONTAINED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. HORIZONTAL SCRAPE MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE LANDING GEAR DOORS WHICH WAS INDICATIVE OF THE ACFT SLIDING WITH THE GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. NO PREIMPACT PART/COMPONENT FAILURE OF MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,135 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1,021 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,123 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1983; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 6,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N873LB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.