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20250809012389A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Beech S35 · Lowell, MI · August 9, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 9, 2025 · 10:00 local
Place
Lowell, MI
Airport
Lowell City Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N861T
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN25LA319
Reported as
Beech S35
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,894 total663 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
N861TRegistered now · Beech S35S/N D-7507 · Built 1964Airframe modelBeech S35Engine modelContinental IO-520 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.

I was notified of this incident on Monday August 11, 2025, at 1215 EST. I phoned the roc to report this event. Contacted Lowell airport (24C) manager. He stated that on Saturday August 9, 2025, approximately 1030 EST that this aircraft experienced a gear up landing on runway 24. The pilot reported that he was returning from a local event at sparta, MI airport (8D4) and on his approach to Lowell (24C) he was distracted by a previous accident that occurred weeks prior, just west of the runway and he forgot to lower the landing gear and he landed on the belly of the aircraft with flaps in the down position, propeller struck the runway surface and he came to a rest on runway 24. The airplane came to rest with no fire, no fuel leaks, and no injuries. Airport manager and the pilot called a local recovery company, and they assisted in lifting the aircraft and placing it back down on its landing gear. The airport manager assisted the pilot in towing the aircraft back to the pilot’s hangar D2 located on the southeast corner of the airport (24C). This recovery took approximately 2 hours. The airport manager failed to send a NOTAM and close the runway during this event. The pilot and airport manager did not contact the NTSB.

I arrived at Lowell, MI airport (24C) on 08/12/2025 at 0900 esdt. The aircraft was located inside hangar D2 on the southeast corner of the airport. The aircraft was resting on all 3-landing gear upright. There was no evidence of fuel leaks or fire. I found the nose landing gear doors had been removed and the lower light beacon was unmounted from the aircraft and tools laying on the ground under the aircraft. Upon a visual inspection of the aircraft, I documented damage to the nose whell well and surrounding internal structures. Inboard flaps have substantial damage, antennas and lights on the belly have been damaged. All three propeller blades show evidence of a strike while under power. All control surfaces appeared to have continuity and free travel in all directions.

I have counseled the pilot and airport manager as to how and when to report an accident.

As the FAA filed it

I WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS INCIDENT ON MONDAY AUGUST 11, 2025, AT 1215 EST. I PHONED THE ROC TO REPORT THIS EVENT. CONTACTED LOWELL AIRPORT (24C) MANAGER. HE STATED THAT ON SATURDAY AUGUST 9, 2025, APPROXIMATELY 1030 EST THAT THIS AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A GEAR UP LANDING ON RUNWAY 24. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS RETURNING FROM A LOCAL EVENT AT SPARTA, MI AIRPORT (8D4) AND ON HIS APPROACH TO LOWELL (24C) HE WAS DISTRACTED BY A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED WEEKS PRIOR, JUST WEST OF THE RUNWAY AND HE FORGOT TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR AND HE LANDED ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH FLAPS IN THE DOWN POSITION, PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND HE CAME TO A REST ON RUNWAY 24. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST WITH NO FIRE, NO FUEL LEAKS, AND NO INJURIES. AIRPORT MANAGER AND THE PILOT CALLED A LOCAL RECOVERY COMPANY, AND THEY ASSISTED IN LIFTING THE AIRCRAFT AND PLACING IT BACK DOWN ON ITS LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPORT MANAGER ASSISTED THE PILOT IN TOWING THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE PILOT’S HANGAR D2 LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE AIRPORT (24C). THIS RECOVERY TOOK APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS. THE AIRPORT MANAGER FAILED TO SEND A NOTAM AND CLOSE THE RUNWAY DURING THIS EVENT. THE PILOT AND AIRPORT MANAGER DID NOT CONTACT THE NTSB.

I ARRIVED AT LOWELL, MI AIRPORT (24C) ON 08/12/2025 AT 0900 ESDT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED INSIDE HANGAR D2 ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING ON ALL 3-LANDING GEAR UPRIGHT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKS OR FIRE. I FOUND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOORS HAD BEEN REMOVED AND THE LOWER LIGHT BEACON WAS UNMOUNTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND TOOLS LAYING ON THE GROUND UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. UPON A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, I DOCUMENTED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE WHELL WELL AND SURROUNDING INTERNAL STRUCTURES. INBOARD FLAPS HAVE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, ANTENNAS AND LIGHTS ON THE BELLY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES SHOW EVIDENCE OF A STRIKE WHILE UNDER POWER. ALL CONTROL SURFACES APPEARED TO HAVE CONTINUITY AND FREE TRAVEL IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

I HAVE COUNSELED THE PILOT AND AIRPORT MANAGER AS TO HOW AND WHEN TO REPORT AN ACCIDENT.

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 CEN25LA319Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportLowell, MIThe pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing.Aug 9, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N861T · 2

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

Incident 20240110004629ILanding: Touchdown · Chesterfield, MOJanuary 10, 2024 aircraft experienced a nose gear collapse upon landing at Spirit of saint Louis airport (sus). The aircraft sustained minor damage that included a propstrike, forward nose cowling damage, landing light damage, broken nose gear retract rod…Jan 10, 2024 · Minor damageIncident 20080618841349ILevel Off Touchdown · St Louis, MO(-23) The pilot tried to extend the landing gear by the normal means. The gear started to extend but locked up and would not extend any further. After communicating with the director of maintenance at executive Beechcraft, the pilot attempted to extend the…Jun 18, 2008 · Minor damage