Beech 58P accident near Santa Ana, California, January 8, 2012
On January 8, 2012, a 1977 Beech 58P, registered N580TC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Santa Ana, California (John Wayne Orange County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to review or execute any applicable checklist procedures or troubleshoot or take corrective action before landing despite indications that the landing gear was not extended. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s misunderstanding of the air traffic controller’s communication that the landing gear was not extended, his desire to land quickly, and an undetermined electrical system anomaly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2012
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · John Wayne Orange County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P, built 1977 · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N580TC · no longer on the register · serial TJ-126
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the twin-engine airplane was on a sightseeing diversion while en route to an airport when two "ALT" annunciator lights on the instrument panel illuminated, and the load meters indicated that the alternators were not providing electrical power to the airplane. The pilot powered off some electrical equipment and recycled both alternator switches. The "ALT" annunciator lights extinguished, and all other indications returned to normal. Since nightfall was approaching and the pilot was concerned about the continued availability of electrical power, he then headed for his destination. When the airplane was on short final, the pilot noticed that none of the three green landing gear position annunciator lights were illuminated despite the fact that he had selected the landing gear down. He reported this information to the air traffic control tower controller, conducted a go-around, and asked for the controller's observations regarding the landing gear position. The pilot misunderstood the air traffic controller's communication that the landing gear was not extended. Subsequently, the pilot did not recycle the gear and did not review or execute any abnormal checklist procedures for the landing gear. Although the landing gear warning horn sounded during the second landing approach, the pilot incorrectly believed that the landing gear was extended and landed the airplane with the landing gear fully retracted. Although the landing was accomplished 31 minutes before local sunset and 58 minutes before the end of local civil twilight, the pilot did not go around again due to his concern about approaching nightfall. While the airplane was in temporary storage awaiting postaccident examination, the owner of the repair facility, who had previously repaired the landing gear system and had conducted the most recent annual inspection on the airplane, gained unapproved access to the airplane, operated the landing gear, and inadvertently damaged the airplane. Subsequent examination of the airplane by investigators revealed that the landing gear system operated normally, and no irregularities were revealed with the electrical system. According to the airplane manufacturer, without alternator augmentation, the airplane battery would have lasted about the same amount of time that it took for the flight to depart and reach the location where the pilot first noticed the electrical anomaly. Based on this information and the fact that the airplane had been tampered with, no detailed component testing was accomplished, and the root causes of the initial electrical anomaly and failure of the landing gear to extend could not be determined.
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
- Electrical system malf/failure during enroute
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach (VFR go-around)
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear position and warning › Not used/operated
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- factor Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › AC generator › alternator › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 972 hours in all; 54 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,740 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSBA Santa Barbara CA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: SNA Santa Ana CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19L, 5,701 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N580TC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
2010-03-22WPR10LA191 · accident near Santa Barbara, CA · substantial damage · no injuries
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.