Aero Commander AC-690 accident near Eugene, Oregon, February 12, 2001
On February 12, 2001 at about 1:20 am local time, a Aero Commander AC-690, registered N690AC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eugene, Oregon (Mahlon Sweet Field). 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an undetermined malfunction of the nose gear system which resulted in the failure of the nose gear to fully extend and lock prior to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 12, 2001 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- Eugene, Oregon · Mahlon Sweet Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander AC-690
- Registration
- N690AC · registry record · serial 11527
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After taxiing and taking off in "very icy conditions," the pilot was unable to get the nose gear to fully retract even after multiple recycle attempts. Because of the severe weather at his point of departure, the pilot elected to continue to his planned destination. At the destination ILS final approach fix, the pilot moved the gear handle to the DOWN position, but the nose gear did not fully extend. He therefore recycled the gear a number of times, with and without full rudder pedal application, but the nose gear would not fully extend and lock. During the landing, the initial touchdown was successful, but as the nose gear was lowered to the runway, it collapsed back into the wheel well. During a post-accident inspection, after prying the nose wheel loose from the well with a bar, it rotated to the full down and locked position. After the bushing collar bolts at the base of the gear strut oleo body were loosened, the nose gear was able to be centered. The post-accident inspection did not reveal any anomalies in the extension and retraction assembly, and it could not be positively determined why the gear did not fully retract or extend.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,717 hours in all; 420 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 2,605 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 6, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,450 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 5, 2000; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,350 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allied Signal TPE 331-5 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RDM Redmond OR
- Destination: EUG Eugene
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA01LA049.