# Accident 19981014034659A: Beech C90, Meridian, MS, October 14, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 14, 1998, 17:00 local time
- Place: Meridian, MS
- Airport: Key Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.3329° N, 88.7516° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at KEY FLD (MEI), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3329&lon=-88.7516&mi=10
- Aircraft: N438SP (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BEECH C90
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A21
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,315 total, 220 in this make and model, 79 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA010](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA010) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981014034659A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 MIA99LA010](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA010), Oct 14, 1998: Beech C-90 (N438SP), Meridian, MS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent activation of the landing gear control handle during an attempted go-around, resulting in the retraction of the landing gear and subsequent on ground collision with terrain.

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.