Incident Overview
On January 13, 2026, at approximately 1100 eastern standard time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company G58 airplane, registration N58GL, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Savannah, Georgia. The pilot was uninjured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a corporate flight.
Sequence of Events
During the approach to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV), the pilot selected the landing gear handle to the down position. None of the three green down-and-locked indicator lights nor the red gear unsafe light illuminated. After cycling the gear handle with no change, the pilot executed a go-around.
During the go-around, the red gear unsafe light illuminated. The pilot retracted the landing gear per normal go-around procedures and requested vectors to a local practice area to troubleshoot the problem. After a third cycle of the landing gear handle, the gear again failed to extend. The pilot then consulted with maintenance and completed the manual landing gear extension checklist. Upon completion, the three green down-and-locked lights illuminated. A low approach over the airport was performed, and the air traffic controller in the tower confirmed the landing gear was extended.
Landing and Runway Excursion
On the second approach, with full flaps selected and all three green lights illuminated, the pilot conducted a soft field landing. The touchdown was described as smooth. However, after derotation, the pilot felt a thump and simultaneously observed the red gear unsafe light illuminate, accompanied by the warning horn as the green lights extinguished. The pilot held back on the control yoke, moved the mixture controls to idle cutoff, retarded the throttles, and feathered the propellers, which stopped rotating before the nose settled onto the runway surface. The airplane skidded to a stop, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Post-Accident Examination
An examination by an FAA inspector revealed an inoperative landing gear motor. Additionally, with the airplane on jacks and during manual gear extension, an anomaly with the landing gear switches was observed.