Aerospatiale TB-20 accident near Groveland, California, May 25, 1992
On May 25, 1992 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Aerospatiale TB-20, registered N2824F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Groveland, California (Groveland airport). It was a personal 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 PILOT'S INADVERTENT PLACEMENT OF THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR IN THE UP POSITION DURING THE INITIAL PORTION OF THE LANDING ROLLOUT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1992 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Groveland, California · Groveland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale TB-20
- Registration
- N2824F · registry record · serial 1103
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT APPROACHING THE DESTINATION AIRPORT HE EXTENDED THE WING FLAPS, LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AND OBSERVED THREE GREEN GEAR LIGHTS. THE AIRPLANE 'FLOATED' OVER THE 3640-FOOT LONG RUNWAY AND INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN 800 TO 900 FEET BEYOND THE THRESHOLD. THEREAFTER, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR PARTIALLY RETRACTED, THE WING CONTACTED THE RUNWAY'S SURFACE AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED INTO A DITCH. DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE, THE WING FLAPS WERE FOUND IN THE RETRACTED POSITION AND THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT DURING ROLLOUT THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR WAS ACTIVATED WHILE SOME WEIGHT WAS ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. THIS RESULTED IN A BENDING OF THE LEFT GEAR ACTUATOR ARM AND THE PARTIAL RETRACTION OF THE RIGHT GEAR. THE FLAPS WERE FOUND GROUND IMPACT DAMAGED AND RETRACTED.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 345 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 237 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 231 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 24, 1992; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,086 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4D5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRY Monterey CA at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,640 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 LAX92LA223.