Beech BE-55 accident near Danbury, Connecticut, September 15, 1985
On September 15, 1985 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech BE-55, registered N6429S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Danbury, Connecticut (Danbury Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were 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
- September 15, 1985 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Danbury, Connecticut · Danbury Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-55
- Registration
- N6429S · no longer on the register · serial TE-1073
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT ON TOUCHDOWN THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED FOLLOWED BY THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AND NOSE GEAR. THE ACFT SLID APRX 600 TO 700 FT BEFORE STOPPING. ACCORDING TO THE PLT HE CONFIRMED THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED WHILE ON BASE. A GEAR CYCLE TEST PERFORMED ON THE ACFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT FAILED TO DISCLOSE ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION.
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: 1,441 hours in all; 823 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,034 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 12, 1985; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,880 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Blue Bird Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: Mt. Pocono PA at 5:25 pm
- Destination: DXR Danbury CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,137 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from DXR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.