NTSB CAROL · Event
Event DEN87FA003
Registry · N3MU
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
BEECH 58
Engine
CONT MOTOR IO-550 SERIES (300 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
19980916
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A31BC6
Registrant of record
AERO EQUITIES LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
ACFT HAD BEEN REPOSSESSED AND WAS BEING FERRIED FROM GRAND JUNCTION, CO, TO CHICAGO, IL, WITH EN ROUTE STOP AT DENVER, CO. AFTER TAKEOFF FROM DENVER, LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. PLT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WITHOUT SUCCESS. HE ELECTED TO RETURN TO DENVER. PLT SAID THAT ON FINAL APCH THE RIGHT ENG BEGAN SURGING AND THE LEFT ENG WOULD NOT INCREASE PWR. ACFT MADE HARD LANDING ON RWY, BREAKING LEFT WING. INVESTIGATION REVEALED BOTH SPEED LEVERS WOULD NOT FUNCTION BECAUSE ENG PROP GOVERNORS AND UNDERSPEED FUEL GOVERNOR RESET ARMS, SPLINED ONTO UNDERSPEED FUEL GOVERNOR SHAFTS, WERE POSITIONED ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF SPEED LEVER ACTUATING ARMS. LANDING GEAR FUNCTIONED NORMALLY DURING SWING TESTS. IT WAS LATER LEARNED THAT RIGHT MAIN TIRE HAD BLOWN ON TAKEOFF 3 DAYS EARLIER AND REQUIRED REPAIR. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL OPENED THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO PRECLUDE INADVERTENT GEAR RETRACTION. PLT SAID HE CHECKED CIRCUIT BREAKERS WHEN GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1986_DEN87FA003.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA)
From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences)
Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
Low-Resource Automatic Speech Recognition Domain Adaptation – A Case-Study in Aviation Maintenance
With timeliness and efficiency being critical in the aviation maintenance industry, the need has been growing for smart technological solutions that optimize and streamline the different underlying ta…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
A New Trajectory in UAV Safety: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning for Distance Maintenance Under Wind Variations
In the field of aviation, safety is a critical cornerstone, and the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems is deeply connected with this principle.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Just Culture in Aviation: A Metaphorical Study on Aircraft Maintenance Students
Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Performance PRISM: A Comprehensive Framework For Performance Measurement In Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is governed by rigorous safety requirements and high operational complexity, demanding robust performance measurement frameworks to ensure optimal maintenance practices.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗