Beech C-45H accident near Panama City, Florida, March 18, 2005
On March 18, 2005 at about 12:50 pm local time, a Beech C-45H, registered N231SK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Panama City, Florida (Panama City-Bay CO Intl airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The overload failure of the left main landing gear for undetermined reasons during the landing roll resullting in collapse of the left main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2005 · about 12:50 pm local time
- Place
- Panama City, Florida · Panama City-Bay CO Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-45H · all C-45Hs on the register
- Registration
- N231SK · registry record · serial AF-856
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the approach to Panama City-Bay County International Airport was uneventful. He lowered the landing gear and observed "3 in the green" and complied with the landing checklist. He reported a normal touchdown with full flaps, and applied moderate reverse thrust with very light brakes. Approximately halfway through rollout, the tower informed him of smoke from his left main gear. About 1 second later, the left wing "dipped" about a foot. Seconds later, the left gear collapsed, the propeller contacted the runway, and the airplane rotated to the left about 70 degrees, coming to rest upright on runway 23. Examination of the left main landing gear cylinder top brace assembly (P/N 404-188406) by the NTSB Materials Laboratory revealed evidence of overstress on all fracture surfaces.
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: 5,544 hours in all; 987 in this make and model; 97 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 5,385 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 35,287.2 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 1, 2004; 110.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garrett TPE331-1-1018 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Garrett TPE331-1-1018 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABY Albany GA at 10:05 am
- Destination: PFN Panama City FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 6,308 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 12:45 pm from KPFN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 MIA05LA081.