Beech 80 accident near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, December 13, 1989
On December 13, 1989 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Beech 80, registered N525GT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cape Girardeau, Missouri (Cape Girardeau 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
AN INOPERATIVE LANDING GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM DUE TO FAILURE OF AN ELECTRIC MOTOR AND A MISPLACED EMERGENCY CRANK HANDLE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 1989 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Cape Girardeau · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 80
- Registration
- N525GT · registry record · serial LD421
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THAT WHEN HE DEPARTED ON A PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY TRIP, THE LANDING GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT COMPLETELY. HE CONTINUED HIS TRIP. AFTER ARRIVING AT HIS DESTINATION, HE WAS UNABLE TO GET A SAFE GEAR INDICATION AND WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE GEAR BY EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. LOW PASSES PAST THE TOWER CONFIRMED ALL THREE WHEELS WERE DOWN, BUT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED NOT TO BE IN POSITION. A LANDING WAS MADE. DURING THE ROLL-OUT, ALL THREE GEAR LEGS COLLAPSED. A POST- ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE GEAR MOTOR WAS BURNED OUT AND THE LANDING GEAR EMERGENCY PUMP WAS INOPERATIVE DUE TO A MISPLACED CRANK HANDLE.
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: 3,500 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 16, 1988; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IGSO-540-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Atlanta GA at 3:15 pm
- Destination: CGI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 3,996 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:28 pm from CGI
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.