Beech B60 incident near Jacksonville, Florida, February 25, 1989
On February 25, 1989 at about 8:23 pm local time, a Beech B60, registered N294D, suffered minor damage in an incident near Jacksonville, Florida (Craig Municipal 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
FAILURE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR RETRACT ROD DUE TO POOR MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF THE MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 1989 · about 8:23 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Craig Municipal · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B60 · all B60s on the register
- Registration
- N294D · registry record · serial P451
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER GEAR RETRACTION ON TAKEOFF, THE PLT HEARD A NOISE & NOTED THAT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT. ATTEMPTS TO RETRACT OR EXTEND WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. WITH THE LEFT MAIN DOWN, BUT UNLOCKED, THE GEAR MOTOR CONTINUED TO RUN & PRODUCED SMOKE. THE PLT PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER & RETURNED FOR LANDING. AFTER TOUCHDOWN DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LEFT MAIN COLLAPSED. EXAMINATION OF THE FAILED LANDING GEAR REVEALED THE RETRACT PUSH-PULL ROD HAD FAILED. LATER, DURING AN OPERATIONAL CHECK, THE REPLACEMENT ROD FAILED EXACTLY AS THE INITIAL FAILURE. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED SEIZURE OF THE DOWNLOCK ROLLER ASSY & CABLE ACTUATED OVERCENTER RELEASE MECHANISM.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,068 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 1988; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,775 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-541-E1C4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,007 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:24 pm from CRG
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.