Beech 58 accident near Portland, Oregon, February 9, 2010
On February 9, 2010 at about 8:02 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N3700N, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Portland, Oregon (Portland International 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 overstress failure of a nose landing gear mechanism bolt, which precluded the nose gear retract brace assembly from locking the nose gear in the extended position and allowed the nose landing gear to collapse. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the nose gear tire's inner tube.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 2010 · about 8:02 pm local time
- Place
- Portland, Oregon · Portland International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 P · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N3700N · no longer on the register · serial TJ-311
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During takeoff roll, with the airplane between 60 to 70 knots, the inner tube in the nose gear tire failed, causing the tire to flatten and skid and the nose gear to subsequently collapse. The pilot successfully aborted the takeoff and steered the airplane to a stop onto grass just off the right side of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane's nose landing gear retract mechanism revealed that the bolt which connects the mechanism's inboard and outboard arms in place had failed in overstress, likely due to the skidding nose gear tire. The failure of the bolt allowed both arms to pivot enough to keep the nose gear retract brace assembly from locking the nose gear in the extended position, which allowed the nose landing gear to collapse.
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
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Tube › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,883 hours in all; 785 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,883 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 26, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,522 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 20, 2009; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne-Continental Motors TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne-Continental Motors TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDX Portland OR at 8:00 pm
- Destination: SUN Hailey ID
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10L, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PDX
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.