Beech 95-C55 accident near Marathon, Florida, December 15, 1987
On December 15, 1987 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Beech 95-C55, registered N707CC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marathon, Florida (Marathon Flt Strip 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, 1987 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Marathon, Florida · Marathon Flt Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-C55 · all 95-C55s on the register
- Registration
- N707CC · no longer on the register · serial TE78
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A PERSONAL FLT AFTER THE PLT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR FOR LANDING, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR DID NOT EXTEND. THE PLT CONTINUED THE APCH, & AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RWY, COLLIDED WITH TREES, THEN CAME TO REST. ACCORDING TO FAA PERSONNEL THE LT MAIN LNDG GEAR DID NOT EXTEND POSSIBLY DUE TO A FROZEN UPLOCK ROLLER. AS A RESULT AFTER THE PLT LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR, THE PUSH-PULL ROD FAILED. ACCORDING TO BEECH ACFT PERSONNEL, THE PUSH-PULL ROD COULD FAIL IF THE UPLOCK ROLLER FAILED. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER THE ACFT & ENG LOGBOOKS COULD NOT BE LOCATED.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,550 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 111 in the last 90 days; 1,053 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EYW Keywest FL at 6:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from EYW, 39 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.
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.