Beech M35 accident near Sioux City, Iowa, August 8, 1983
On August 8, 1983 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Beech M35, registered N555M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sioux City, Iowa (Sioux City Municipal airport). It was a business 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 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
- August 8, 1983 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Sioux City, Iowa · Sioux City Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech M35 · all M35s on the register
- Registration
- N555M · no longer on the register · serial D6216
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH WAS DOWN WHEN HE STARTED THA TAKEOFF ROLL. WHEN THE ACFT HAD ACCELERATED TO APRX 50 MPH DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED/COLLAPSED, NOSE WHEEL FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN GEAR. THE PLT STATED THAT AFTER THE ACFT SLID TO A STOP, HE MOVED THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH FROM THE 'DOWN' TO THE 'UP' POSITION BEFORE HE DEPARTED THE ACFT. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WHO WERE AT THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MISHAP, CONFIRMED THAT THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH WAS IN THE 'UP' POSITION WHEN THEY ARRIVED. AN INSPECTION OF THE LANDING GEAR & GEAR WARNING SYSTEMS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PRE-ACCIDENT MALFUNCTION. THE GEAR WARNING HORN SOUNDED WHEN CHECKED WITH THE SQUAT SWITCH OPEN. THE PLT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR A HORN DURING THE TAKEOFF SEQUENCE. ALSO, THE PLT NOTED THAT THE FLAP SWITCH WAS IN THE 'DOWN' POSITION, WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT, BUT THE FLAPS WERE IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. HE BELIEVED SOMEONE HAD PUT THE FLAP SWITCH DOWN AFTER THE MASTER SWITCH WAS OFF.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 507 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 406 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,119 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 26, 1983; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airways Service INC.
The flight
- Destination: RBE Bassett NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 6,888 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:26 pm from SUX
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.