Cessna 340A accident near Prospect, Pennsylvania, July 22, 1990
On July 22, 1990 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 340A, registered N555KB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Prospect, Pennsylvania (Koehler 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 ON GROUND COLLISION WITH TERRAIN AFTER THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SIDE BRACE FAILED DUE TO SHEAR FROM THE SOFT, WET, ROUGH RUNWAY, ALLOWING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 1990 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Prospect, Pennsylvania · Koehler · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340A · all 340As on the register
- Registration
- N555KB · registry record · serial 0689
- 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 TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL AND AFTER ROLLING APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET THE FIRST INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WAS SEEING AND HEARING THE RIGHT PROPELLER STRIKING THE RUNWAY. THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR FOLDED. THE AIRPLANE STARTED SLIDING USING THE RIGHT PROPELLER AS A SKID. THE AIRPLANE SLID TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY AND STOPPED 600 FEET FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY IN A MARSHY AREA. INSPECTION REVEALED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR DOWN LOCK LINKAGE SEPARATED BETWEEN THE ROD END AND THE SIDE BRACE LOCK LINK ASSEMBLY. THE END FITTING BOLT WAS SHEARED AT THE FITTING. THE RUNWAY SURFACE WAS WET AND CONSISTED OF TAR AND CHIP (ALMOST LIKE GRAVEL).
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: 2,569 hours in all; 226 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,990 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Brennan Aviation CORP.
The flight
- Departed from: ACK Nantucket MA at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 2,421 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.