# Accident 19960703022819A: Beech 95A55, Ardmore, OK, July 3, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 3, 1996, 17:45 local time
- Place: Ardmore, OK
- Airport: Ardmore Downtown Executive
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.1902° N, 97.1097° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1902&lon=-97.1097&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2992F, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2992F-2018-01-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 95-A55 (registry code 1152704, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-a55) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental I0-470 series (registry code 17027, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 95A55
- Reported engine: CONT IO470L
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 336 total, 46 in this make and model, 59 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW96LA298](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96LA298) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960703022819A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOST CONTROL ON TAKEOFF WITH SAFETY CFI PILOT. HIT FENCE AND DITCH. INDICATES EARLY GEAR RETRACTION NEAR ROTATION. (-23) BOTH PILOTS HEARD A "LOUD BANG" FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK COMMAND OF THE FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE "BALLOONED INTO THE AIR, SETTLED ONTO THE LEFT MAIN GEAR, AND THEN VEERED TO THE RIGHT." THE INSTRUCTOR REALIZED THAT THE PROPELLERS HAD STRUCK THE RUNWAY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT, CROSSED A TAXIWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 85 MPH, HIT A DRAINAGE AREA, AND "WENT BACK INTO THE AIR" BEFORE COMING TO REST AT THE BOTTOM OF A DITCH. THE OPERATOR EXAMINED THE GEAR SYSTEM AND DETERMINED THAT "THE DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE ACTIVATING MECHANISM BY THE GEAR RETRACTING UPON LIFT-OFF FROM THE RUNWAY." HE DID NOT OBSERVE "ANY MAJOR COMPONENT FAILURE OR LACK OF CONTINUITY IN (THE) GEAR RETRACTING TORQUE TUBES OR BELLCRANK."

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW96LA298](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96LA298), Jul 3, 1996: Beech 95-A55 (N2992F), Ardmore, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent premature retraction of the landing gear during takeoff roll. A factor was inadequate supervision by the safety pilot/flight instructor.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.