20021012029259I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech F35 · Denton, TX · October 12, 2002

Date: October 12, 2002 · 14:00 local
Place: Denton, TX
Airport: Denton Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4293B
Reported as: Beech F35
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,300 total1,000 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N4293BRegistered now · Beech F35S/N D-4355 · Built 1955 Airframe modelBeech F35 Engine modelContinental E225 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On October 12, 2002 at approximately 1400 at Denton, TX municipal airport (kdto) in a single-engine Beechcraft bonanza BE-35 aircraft the pilot failed to lower his landing gear before landing. The pilot reported that he intended to make a no-flap landing because of crosswind conditions at dto. On final approach to landing the pilot reported operating the flap switch instead of the landing gear switch. He said he felt a pitch change and drag change and thought he had put his landing gear down. He made no mention of checking his landing gear down lights or whether he heard the gear warning horn. The aircraft evidenced minor damage to the flaps and nose wheel landing gear door. Significant minor damage was done to the propeller and the engine exhaust system. The pilot is the aircraft owner and was the sole occupant of the aircraft at the time of the incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON OCTOBER 12, 2002 AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 AT DENTON, TX MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KDTO) IN A SINGLE-ENGINE BEECHCRAFT BONANZA BE-35 AIRCRAFT THE PILOT FAILED TO LOWER HIS LANDING GEAR BEFORE LANDING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE INTENDED TO MAKE A NO-FLAP LANDING BECAUSE OF CROSSWIND CONDITIONS AT DTO. ON FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING THE PILOT REPORTED OPERATING THE FLAP SWITCH INSTEAD OF THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH. HE SAID HE FELT A PITCH CHANGE AND DRAG CHANGE AND THOUGHT HE HAD PUT HIS LANDING GEAR DOWN. HE MADE NO MENTION OF CHECKING HIS LANDING GEAR DOWN LIGHTS OR WHETHER HE HEARD THE GEAR WARNING HORN. THE AIRCRAFT EVIDENCED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FLAPS AND NOSE WHEEL LANDING GEAR DOOR. SIGNIFICANT MINOR DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE PROPELLER AND THE ENGINE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE PILOT IS THE AIRCRAFT OWNER AND WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.