Beech BE-200 accident near Leonardtown, Maryland, October 12, 2006
On October 12, 2006 at about 4:16 pm local time, a Beech BE-200, registered N528WG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leonardtown, Maryland (St. Mary'S County Regional airport). It was a flight test 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 airplane manufacturer's inadequate landing gear downlock plate maintenance orientation information, and the disengaged main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 2006 · about 4:16 pm local time
- Place
- Leonardtown, Maryland · St. Mary'S County Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-200
- Registration
- N528WG · no longer on the register · serial BB-151
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
With all cockpit indications showing the landing gear was down and locked, the airplane touched down on the runway. Immediately after touchdown, the pilots heard the landing gear warning horn sound intermittently for several seconds, and then the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane veered to the right, exited the runway, and came to rest. A postcrash fire ensued, and the crew exited without injury. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the collapsed right main landing gear had penetrated the right main fuel tank and the majority of the right side of the fuselage had been consumed by fire. Examination of the left and right main landing gear assemblies revealed, that both downlock plates had been installed backwards, providing only a fraction of the design contact area between the plate and throat of the downlock hook. Examination of the manufacturer's component maintenance manual, which was used for the assembly and installation of the left and right main landing gear, revealed no guidance regarding downlock plate orientation during installation.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,140 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 218 in the last 90 days; 67 in the last 30 days; 4,315 as pilot in command; 1,650 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 59 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,034 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,077 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 1, 2006; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-41 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-41 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Airtec Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 2W6 Leonardtown MD at 3:15 pm
- Destination: 2W6 Leonardtown MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 4,150 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.62 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from NHK, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.