What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, a Beech 95-B55 (T42A), registered as privacy data omitted, serial number TC-1070, was involved in an accident at Albert Whitted Airport (kspg) in St Petersburg, FL. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.
The pilot explained that the purpose of the flight was to prepare for his multiengine instructor practical test.
The aircraft departed kspg under instrument flight rules (IFR) in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) at approximately after 08:45 local time destined for punta gorda airport (kpgd).
The pilot stated that after takeoff an aircraft alternator failed and the battery began discharging. He reset both the left and right main alternator switches, followed by the breakers for each alternator without success.
He contacted tampa approach to abort the flight to kpgd and return to kspg. He placed the landing gear switch down and heard the gear motor running including extension noises. The garmin primary flight display (PFD) flickered off, went black, and then went into a reboot cycle. Kspg tower cleared privacy data omitted to land. The pilot explained that he was unsure if the tower could hear him due to transmission problems, suspecting low battery power. Prior to landing the pilot stated that he completed a gumps check. He thought the gear was down based on the indicator position of the floor gear mechanical indicator. He stated that he did not verify it from the green electrical light on the instrument panel. During touchdown on runway 7 the landing gear collapsed.
Post incident inspection revealed that the aircraft suffered damage to all four propellers on both engines from ground impact and scarring on the underside of the aircraft from ground contact. The landing gear was damaged along with the landing gear doors.
As the FAA filed it
ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2025, A BEECH 95-B55 (T42A), REGISTERED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SERIAL NUMBER TC-1070, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT ALBERT WHITTED AIRPORT (KSPG) IN ST PETERSBURG, FL. THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PREPARE FOR HIS MULTIENGINE INSTRUCTOR PRACTICAL TEST.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KSPG UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) AT APPROXIMATELY AFTER 08:45 LOCAL TIME DESTINED FOR PUNTA GORDA AIRPORT (KPGD).
THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF AN AIRCRAFT ALTERNATOR FAILED AND THE BATTERY BEGAN DISCHARGING. HE RESET BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN ALTERNATOR SWITCHES, FOLLOWED BY THE BREAKERS FOR EACH ALTERNATOR WITHOUT SUCCESS.
HE CONTACTED TAMPA APPROACH TO ABORT THE FLIGHT TO KPGD AND RETURN TO KSPG. HE PLACED THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH DOWN AND HEARD THE GEAR MOTOR RUNNING INCLUDING EXTENSION NOISES. THE GARMIN PRIMARY FLIGHT DISPLAY (PFD) FLICKERED OFF, WENT BLACK, AND THEN WENT INTO A REBOOT CYCLE. KSPG TOWER CLEARED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO LAND. THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS UNSURE IF THE TOWER COULD HEAR HIM DUE TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, SUSPECTING LOW BATTERY POWER. PRIOR TO LANDING THE PILOT STATED THAT HE COMPLETED A GUMPS CHECK. HE THOUGHT THE GEAR WAS DOWN BASED ON THE INDICATOR POSITION OF THE FLOOR GEAR MECHANICAL INDICATOR. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT VERIFY IT FROM THE GREEN ELECTRICAL LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. DURING TOUCHDOWN ON RUNWAY 7 THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED.
POST INCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED DAMAGE TO ALL FOUR PROPELLERS ON BOTH ENGINES FROM GROUND IMPACT AND SCARRING ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM GROUND CONTACT. THE LANDING GEAR WAS DAMAGED ALONG WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOORS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8313N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.