What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 14, 1998, about 1700 central daylight time, a Beech C-90, N438SP, registered to southern pipe & supply company inc., operating as a 14 CFR part 91 corporate flight, crashed on landing at key field, Meridian, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial-rated pilot and airline transport-rated copilot reported no injuries. The flight originated 30 minutes before the accident. The pilot stated they conducted the descent arrival and before landing checklist before starting the VFR approach for runway 22 at key field. He verified the landing gear was in the down position. The airplane touched down on the main gear, and went into reverse when the nose gear touched down on the runway. He noticed the left wing tip started to dip down, the gear handle was red, the power levers were advanced, and the left propeller collided with the runway. The airplane veered to the right off the runway colliding with a taxi way sign. A witness who observed the airplane on final stated the landing gear was not extended. The airplane disappeared from view behind a hangar, and she heard a sound similar to the propellrs striking the runway. She went inside the hangar and observed the airplane off the side of the runway. (.4) the pilot stated he touched down on the main gear and went into reverse when the nose wheel touched down on the runway. The left wing started to dip down. He advanced the power levers and the propellers collided with the runway. Tower personnel informed the FAA the airplane was observed to land long and fast. The pilot informed the FAA inspector that the airplane bounced into the air and he applied power for a go-around, but it was to late. The FAA concluded the pilot inadvertently retracted the landing gear instead of the flaps. Examination of the landing gear by a repair facility revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction of the landing gear assembly. (-23) aircraft landed long on runway 22, bounced and gear collapsed. Aircraft skidded off runway striking runway sign marker with right wing. No injuries to pilot or passengers.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 14, 1998, ABOUT 1700 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH C-90, N438SP, REGISTERED TO SOUTHERN PIPE & SUPPLY COMPANY INC., OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 CORPORATE FLIGHT, CRASHED ON LANDING AT KEY FIELD, MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT AND AIRLINE TRANSPORT-RATED COPILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THEY CONDUCTED THE DESCENT ARRIVAL AND BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST BEFORE STARTING THE VFR APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 22 AT KEY FIELD. HE VERIFIED THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN GEAR, AND WENT INTO REVERSE WHEN THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY. HE NOTICED THE LEFT WING TIP STARTED TO DIP DOWN, THE GEAR HANDLE WAS RED, THE POWER LEVERS WERE ADVANCED, AND THE LEFT PROPELLER COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT OFF THE RUNWAY COLLIDING WITH A TAXI WAY SIGN. A WITNESS WHO OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ON FINAL STATED THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW BEHIND A HANGAR, AND SHE HEARD A SOUND SIMILAR TO THE PROPELLRS STRIKING THE RUNWAY. SHE WENT INSIDE THE HANGAR AND OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. (.4) THE PILOT STATED HE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN GEAR AND WENT INTO REVERSE WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT WING STARTED TO DIP DOWN. HE ADVANCED THE POWER LEVERS AND THE PROPELLERS COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY. TOWER PERSONNEL INFORMED THE FAA THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO LAND LONG AND FAST. THE PILOT INFORMED THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED INTO THE AIR AND HE APPLIED POWER FOR A GO-AROUND, BUT IT WAS TO LATE. THE FAA CONCLUDED THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR INSTEAD OF THE FLAPS. EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR BY A REPAIR FACILITY REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY. (-23) AIRCRAFT LANDED LONG ON RUNWAY 22, BOUNCED AND GEAR COLLAPSED. AIRCRAFT SKIDDED OFF RUNWAY STRIKING RUNWAY SIGN MARKER WITH RIGHT WING. NO INJURIES TO PILOT OR PASSENGERS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.