Beech 35 accident near Lake City, Florida, December 15, 1983
On December 15, 1983 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Beech 35, registered N444D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake City, Florida (Lake City 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 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
- December 15, 1983 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Lake City, Florida · Lake City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N444D · no longer on the register · serial 586
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT LANDED WITH THE NOSE GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE HEARD A CRACK WHILE THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTING AFTER TAKEOFF. HE PUT THE GEAR HANDLE BACK DOWN AND CONTINUED TO LAKE CITY. AFTER FLYING SEVERAL LOW PASSES, THE CONTROL TOWER CONFIRMED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS ONLY PARTIALLY EXTENDED. ALL EFFORTS TO EXTEND THE GEAR FAILED AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLPASED DURING LANDING ROLL. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THAT THE EXTENSION SYSTEM HAD FAILED PREVENTING NORMAL EXTENSION OF THE NOSE GEAR.
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: 1,200 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 15, 1983; 125 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FL10 Mcalpin FL at 6:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 6,005 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Observation at 6:52 pm from GNV, 34 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N444D 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.