Beech BE-99 accident near Albany, New York, October 11, 1985
On October 11, 1985 at about 2:43 pm local time, a Beech BE-99, registered N336PL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albany, New York (Albany CO airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 10 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
- October 11, 1985 · about 2:43 pm local time
- Place
- Albany, New York · Albany CO · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-99
- Registration
- N336PL · no longer on the register · serial 4-35
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A BEECH BE-99 N336PL EXPERIENCED A LANDING GEAR COLLAPSE WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 01 AT ALBANY COUNTY AIRPORT AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. ON INITIAL APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS PUT IN THE DOWN POSITION, ONLY TWO GREEN GEAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. A FLY BX THE TOWER VERIFIED THAT THE NOSE WHEEL WAS NOT FULLY EXTENDED. THE FLIGHT CIRCLED ABOUT FIVE MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT BURNING OFF FUEL. ON THE FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT INSTRUCTED THE PASSENGERS TO GET INTO A CRASH POSITION. AS THE MAIN GEEAR TOUCHED DOWN THE AIRSPEED SLOWED THEN THE NOSE CONE TOUCHED DOWN.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,580 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 1,150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 23,507 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 1985; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,400 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SYR Syracuse NY at 12:50 pm
- Destination: ALB Albany NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 45 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
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.