20180416000229A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech 95-B55 (T42A) · Suffolk, VA · April 16, 2018

Date: April 16, 2018 · 18:28 local
Place: Suffolk, VA
Airport: Suffolk Executive Airport
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4464S
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA251
Reported as: Beech 95-B55 (T42A)
Reported engine: Continental IO-470 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 26,000 total562 in this make and model51 in the last 90 days

N4464SRegistration cancelled Jun 12, 2019 · Beech 95-B55 (T42A)S/N TC-1878 · Built 1975 Airframe modelBeech 95-B55 (T42A)Engine modelContinental IO-470 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.

The pilot stated he flew a normal traffic pattern into Suffolk Executive Airport (sfq). He extended the landing gear on the downwind leg and confirmed the gear was down and locked by observing three green lights on the landing gear indication system. However, upon touchdown, the aircraft's landing gear was in the retracted position and the aircraft landed on the fuselage resulting in damage to the flaps, fuselage, and propellers. The pilot stated the GPS antenna wire had inadvertently been looped around the landing gear lever. When the pilot pulled the control wheel for landing, the wire tightened against the gear lever and pulled the landing gear handle up, thus retracting the landing gear. A witness on the ground confirmed the pilot's account of the incident. Witness stated he observed the landing gear in a 45 degree angle when the aircraft was over the runway.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED HE FLEW A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN INTO SUFFOLK EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (SFQ). HE EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR ON THE DOWNWIND LEG AND CONFIRMED THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED BY OBSERVING THREE GREEN LIGHTS ON THE LANDING GEAR INDICATION SYSTEM. HOWEVER, UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE RETRACTED POSITION AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE FUSELAGE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE FLAPS, FUSELAGE, AND PROPELLERS. THE PILOT STATED THE GPS ANTENNA WIRE HAD INADVERTENTLY BEEN LOOPED AROUND THE LANDING GEAR LEVER. WHEN THE PILOT PULLED THE CONTROL WHEEL FOR LANDING, THE WIRE TIGHTENED AGAINST THE GEAR LEVER AND PULLED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE UP, THUS RETRACTING THE LANDING GEAR. A WITNESS ON THE GROUND CONFIRMED THE PILOT'S ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT. WITNESS STATED HE OBSERVED THE LANDING GEAR IN A 45 DEGREE ANGLE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS OVER THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB GAA18CA251Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportSuffolk, VAThe pilot’s failure to properly secure the portable GPS and antenna cable, which resulted in the inadvertent landing gear retraction during landing.Apr 17, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4464S · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20000917028689ILevel Off Touchdown · Newport News, VA(-23)Enroute from pompano beach, FL, to rockland, ME, on entering traffic pattern at mfv for a intended fuel stop, pilot was not able to get a green indication on the left main gear. A flyby was initiated and ground personnel observed the left main landing…Sep 17, 2000 · Minor damage