Beech 58 accident near Gulfport, Mississippi, May 24, 2005
On May 24, 2005 at about 1:30 am local time, a Beech 58, registered N6654Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gulfport, Mississippi (Gulfport -Biloxi International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 inadequate maintenance inspection by maintenance personnel which resulted in damaged landing gear pulleys, resulting in the failure of the landing gear downlock to engage, and collapse of the main landing gear during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2005 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Gulfport, Mississippi · Gulfport -Biloxi International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N6654Y · registry record · serial TH-1061
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After being cleared to land, the pilot extended the landing gear and set the flaps to full to reduce speed rather than descend at an idle power setting. He observed three green landing gear light indications in the cockpit, and applied "slight" engine power during the landing flare and landed normally. The airplane "rocked" slightly side to side, and when the airplane's full weight was on the main landing gear, the left main landing gear collapsed, followed by the right main landing gear and nose gear. The airplane slid about 400 to 500 feet on the runway before coming to a full stop. The pilot reported that there had been no prior problems with the landing gear, and a recent landing gear inspection had been conducted due to previous slow landing gear extension, retraction, and noise. The slow extension/retraction and noise had been corrected by lubrication since the landing gears' operation had returned to normal after 3 or 4 flights. A mechanic performed postaccident maintenance to repair the landing gear, installing new Brace Assemblies (P/N 38-815125-12 and 38-815125-14). After installing the braces, the mechanic performed retraction tests, and the landing gear system functioned normally. As he was moving the airplane with a tug, he noticed that the right landing gear was about to fold again. He examined the landing gear, and found that the down lock mechanism had not pulled into place, and that the pulley, part number MS20219-2, was split on one side, allowing the cable to run into the split, making the downlock cable fall short of engagement. The pulleys had to be removed to see the split, and that he found the same condition on the left side. Both pulleys and both downlock cables where then replaced, which resolved the landing gear downlock problems. Examination of the airplane's logbook records show the airplane received a 100-hour and Annual inspection on July 31, 2004, about 70 flight hours before the accident. During this inspection the mechanic stated he performed a main landing gear retraction and emergency extension test.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,336 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 7,336 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2004; 70 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-520-CD-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-520B-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTR Baton Rouge LA at 1:00 am
- Destination: GPT Gulfport MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from GPT
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 MIA05LA108.