Beech 65-A90 accident near Titusville, Florida, May 6, 2008
On May 6, 2008 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Beech 65-A90, registered N41DZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Titusville, Florida (Arthur Dunn Air Park 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 pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2008 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · Arthur Dunn Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A90 · all 65-A90s on the register
- Registration
- N41DZ · registry record · serial LJ-269
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the twin-engine, turboprop airplane on a 3,000-foot-long, 70-foot-wide, asphalt runway, when he encountered a high sink rate. He applied engine power; however, the engines did not respond quickly enough to prevent a hard landing. During the hard landing, the main landing gear separated and the left landing gear struck the vertical stabilizer. The pilot subsequently performed a go-around and landed on a grass runway, without further incident. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions. He reported 5000 hours of total flight experience, which included 500 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 4,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 9,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT-6-13S (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT-6-13S (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X21 Titusville FL
- Destination: X21 Titusville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,000 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from TIX, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.