NTSB CAROL · Event
Event BFO85LA014
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
WHILE RETRACTING THE LANDING GEAR AFTER TAKEOFF, THE GEAR HESITATED BRIEFLY AT ABOUT MIDPOINT BEFORE RETRACTING FULLY. ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND THE GEAR THROUGH NORMAL AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FAILED. THE ACFT LANDED AT DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WITH THE GEAR IN AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION. IT WAS THE PLT'S DECISION TO LAND IN THE GRASS TO THE LEFT OF RWY 30. IMMEDIATELY AFTER GROUND CONTACT, THE ACFT IMPACTED A TWO FEET HIGH EMBANKMENT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS TRIPPED. RETRACTION TEST INDICATED THAT THE MAIN GEAR FUNCTIONED PROPERLY, HOWEVER EXTENSIVE DAMAGE PRECLUDED TESTING OF THE NOSE GEAR. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WHILE THE ACFT WAS TIED DOWN, ANOTHER TAXIING ACFT STRUCK ITS SPINNER AREA, NECESSITATING MAINT ATTENTION, WHICH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDED THE ACCIDENT FLT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1985_BFO85LA014.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Beyond the agency record
Search this event elsewhere.
Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.
Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.
Official agency record + docket.
Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.
Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).
Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.
Gold-standard aviation incident blog.
Aviation industry news search.
GA pilot forum — informed but rumor-prone.
GA pilot subreddit search.
Tail-number page — flight history (free tier limited).
AOPA Air Safety Institute search.
Mainstream press coverage. Recent events only.
Privacy-preserving news search.
External links open in a new tab. We don't ingest their content; we deep-link search queries.