Incident Overview
On December 16, 2025, at 16:30 UTC, a Beech 58 aircraft, registration LV-IWF, experienced a serious incident at Aeropuerto Internacional Don Martin Miguel de Güemes (SASA) in Salta, Argentina. The incident involved a failure of the nose landing gear to extend.
Flight Details
The flight departed from SASA and proceeded normally. Approximately 20 minutes after takeoff, while joining the traffic pattern and lowering the landing gear, the pilot observed that the green indicator light for the nose landing gear down-and-locked position did not illuminate. A visual check confirmed that the nose gear remained retracted. The pilot cycled the landing gear using the normal operation mode, but the nose gear stayed in the up position. The emergency manual extension procedure was attempted multiple times, without success. The main landing gear extended and locked, as indicated by green lights, but the nose gear remained up with the red light on, indicating it was in transit.
Landing and Damage
The pilot informed the SASA air traffic control tower of the situation and proceeded to land at the airport following the emergency procedures outlined in the aircraft flight manual. On short final, both engines were shut down. The pilot executed a smooth landing, holding the nose up until it settled onto the runway under its own weight. After the aircraft came to a stop, all five occupants disembarked without injuries. Visible damage to LV-IWF was minor.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Beech 58, serial number TH-1520, manufactured in 1987. It was registered in Argentina and operated by a private owner for pleasure (non-commercial, non-scheduled operations). The aircraft was equipped with two Continental (Teledyne) engines and McCauley propellers. Maintenance documentation and airworthiness certificate were current and valid.
Pilot Information
The pilot-in-command was a 39-year-old male holding a commercial pilot license issued by the state of registry. He did not require a rating for the flight.
Investigation
The preliminary investigation identified rub marks on the nose landing gear bay, indicating contact between the wheel and the bay structure. The nose landing gear could not be lowered by either the normal or emergency extension systems. The investigation is ongoing.