Beech C90A accident near Tampa, Florida, February 15, 2006
On February 15, 2006 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Beech C90A, registered N12LE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tampa, Florida (Tampa Intl airport). It was a positioning 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collapse of the right main landing gear for an undetermined reason during the landing roll, which resulted in a collision with the runway. A factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to follow the published emergency/abnormal procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 2006 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Tampa, Florida · Tampa Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C90A · all C90As on the register
- Registration
- N12LE · no longer on the register · serial LJ-1751
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo airline transport pilot was conducting a VFR positioning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, in a twin-engine, turboprop airplane. While on approach to the destination airport, the pilot moved the landing gear control selector to the down position, and he saw a red annunciator warning light, indicting that the right main landing gear was not safe for landing. The pilot then discontinued the approach, and referred to the emergency and abnormal procedures section of the checklist, but noted that he was unable to find any clear direction that pertained to his specific condition. Additionally, he contacted maintenance personnel to request technical assistance, but the technician was unable to offer any additional assistance. The pilot retracted and extended the landing gear three times, but the right main landing gear red annunciator warning light remained on each time. The pilot flew by the local control tower so air traffic control tower personnel, along with maintenance technicians could inspect the landing gear prior to landing. At the completion of the fly by, the pilot was advised that the right main landing gear appeared to be down, and the airplane was cleared to land. After landing, as the airplane's ground roll slowed, the right main landing gear collapsed. The right wing struck the surface of the runway and sustained substantial damage. A postaccident inspection revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies. The right main landing gear actuator and the right main landing gear downlock switch were removed for additional testing and evaluation, and both functioned properly, with no mechanical anomalies noted. The airplane flight manual, abnormal procedures section, does give instructions for an alternate method of lowering the landing gear by pumping it down by hand until it reaches a locked position, or until maximum system pressure is reached if the down lock light does not illuminate. The pilot did not follow these procedures.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 5,500 as pilot in command; 650 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 47 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 2005; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMIA Miami FL at 6:50 pm
- Destination: KTPA Tampa FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18L, 8,300 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KTPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.