20251022016679A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech A36 · Hondo, TX · October 22, 2025

Date
October 22, 2025 · 17:45 local
Place
Hondo, TX
Airport
South Texas Regional At Hondo
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N17826
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN26LA028
Reported as
Beech A36
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
524 total181 in this make and model22 in the last 90 days

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.

October 22, 2025 at approximately 14:30 CST local time I arrived at hanger at kgtu G-7 to fly bonanza. The plan for the day was to leave kgtu at 15:00CST local, fly to Hondo khdo, arriving 16:00 CST then drive to my ranch which was 20 min north of the airport to meet grain delivery person at 16:30-16:45CDT. I had planned to work at ranch for a couple of hours then get an hour of night flight and some night landings at kgtu to get current again.

I performed my pre-flight on the airplane per my check list. Upon start up the 750XI was giving me “database mismatch”. I proceeded to take the aircraft to central Texas avionics (cta) before they closed to see if they had a quick fix for the 750XI database error. After the issue was resolved, I started the plane and performed a run up per my standard checklist, all checks were consistent with the checklist therefore I taxied to holding short of taxi alpha and RWY18. I contacted kgtu ground requesting flight following to khdo altitude 6500. ATIS oscar, winds variable 10SM, sky clear, temp 29, dewpoint 7, altimeter 30.09. Freq 127.22 squawk 4566.

I departed kgtu, switched to austin departure, proceeded on course. Uneventful cruise, switched to san antonio 127.1 then 125.1. Around boerne stage (5C1), I start to hear that a king air is also going to khdo and estimated 20 miles ahead of me. I picked up the weather, winds favoring 17L, altimeter 30.02. Transferred to houston center 134.95, then shortly after told to change to CTAF VFR

I made a call to Hondo traffic, 9 miles to NE inbound for 17L. I start communicating with the king air, now 6 miles to NE. King air tells me they are high and going to lose altitude south of airport then join the downwind for 17L. I express I will take a straight in for 17L. My eyes are scanning for the king air and looking at the runway. I reach over to pull the landing gear, notice I’m fast, hear another call from the king air, I’m looking but do not see the aircraft. As I get closer to runway I hear a horn going off, I think it is the stall horn but I’m not worried as the runway is made. I continue to float down the runway until I hear the sound of the plane on the ground. I feel like I landed as soft as possible. I immediately discovered that I had landed with the gear up and had pulled the flaps and not the landing gear handle.

I made a quick call on the Hondo CTAF “plane on runway” so as to provide everyone in the pattern notice that the aircraft was on the runway, then I quickly got out of plane. Noticing there was no fire, I went back into plane to shut everything off and move fuel switch to off position.

I have been flying for 7 years, and have over 500 hours total time and have over 180 hours in this aircraft and another 125 hours in a F33 bonanza and never had any issues. I attribute this incident to the external pressure of trying to accomplish too many things in one day coupled with distraction of another plane in the pattern, this resulted in me not using my pre-landing check list which resulted in gear up landing.

As the FAA filed it

OCTOBER 22, 2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 14:30 CST LOCAL TIME I ARRIVED AT HANGER AT KGTU G-7 TO FLY BONANZA. THE PLAN FOR THE DAY WAS TO LEAVE KGTU AT 15:00CST LOCAL, FLY TO HONDO KHDO, ARRIVING 16:00 CST THEN DRIVE TO MY RANCH WHICH WAS 20 MIN NORTH OF THE AIRPORT TO MEET GRAIN DELIVERY PERSON AT 16:30-16:45CDT. I HAD PLANNED TO WORK AT RANCH FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS THEN GET AN HOUR OF NIGHT FLIGHT AND SOME NIGHT LANDINGS AT KGTU TO GET CURRENT AGAIN.

I PERFORMED MY PRE-FLIGHT ON THE AIRPLANE PER MY CHECK LIST. UPON START UP THE 750XI WAS GIVING ME “DATABASE MISMATCH”. I PROCEEDED TO TAKE THE AIRCRAFT TO CENTRAL TEXAS AVIONICS (CTA) BEFORE THEY CLOSED TO SEE IF THEY HAD A QUICK FIX FOR THE 750XI DATABASE ERROR. AFTER THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED, I STARTED THE PLANE AND PERFORMED A RUN UP PER MY STANDARD CHECKLIST, ALL CHECKS WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE CHECKLIST THEREFORE I TAXIED TO HOLDING SHORT OF TAXI ALPHA AND RWY18. I CONTACTED KGTU GROUND REQUESTING FLIGHT FOLLOWING TO KHDO ALTITUDE 6500. ATIS OSCAR, WINDS VARIABLE 10SM, SKY CLEAR, TEMP 29, DEWPOINT 7, ALTIMETER 30.09. FREQ 127.22 SQUAWK 4566.

I DEPARTED KGTU, SWITCHED TO AUSTIN DEPARTURE, PROCEEDED ON COURSE. UNEVENTFUL CRUISE, SWITCHED TO SAN ANTONIO 127.1 THEN 125.1. AROUND BOERNE STAGE (5C1), I START TO HEAR THAT A KING AIR IS ALSO GOING TO KHDO AND ESTIMATED 20 MILES AHEAD OF ME. I PICKED UP THE WEATHER, WINDS FAVORING 17L, ALTIMETER 30.02. TRANSFERRED TO HOUSTON CENTER 134.95, THEN SHORTLY AFTER TOLD TO CHANGE TO CTAF VFR

I MADE A CALL TO HONDO TRAFFIC, 9 MILES TO NE INBOUND FOR 17L. I START COMMUNICATING WITH THE KING AIR, NOW 6 MILES TO NE. KING AIR TELLS ME THEY ARE HIGH AND GOING TO LOSE ALTITUDE SOUTH OF AIRPORT THEN JOIN THE DOWNWIND FOR 17L. I EXPRESS I WILL TAKE A STRAIGHT IN FOR 17L. MY EYES ARE SCANNING FOR THE KING AIR AND LOOKING AT THE RUNWAY. I REACH OVER TO PULL THE LANDING GEAR, NOTICE I’M FAST, HEAR ANOTHER CALL FROM THE KING AIR, I’M LOOKING BUT DO NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT. AS I GET CLOSER TO RUNWAY I HEAR A HORN GOING OFF, I THINK IT IS THE STALL HORN BUT I’M NOT WORRIED AS THE RUNWAY IS MADE. I CONTINUE TO FLOAT DOWN THE RUNWAY UNTIL I HEAR THE SOUND OF THE PLANE ON THE GROUND. I FEEL LIKE I LANDED AS SOFT AS POSSIBLE. I IMMEDIATELY DISCOVERED THAT I HAD LANDED WITH THE GEAR UP AND HAD PULLED THE FLAPS AND NOT THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE.

I MADE A QUICK CALL ON THE HONDO CTAF “PLANE ON RUNWAY” SO AS TO PROVIDE EVERYONE IN THE PATTERN NOTICE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE RUNWAY, THEN I QUICKLY GOT OUT OF PLANE. NOTICING THERE WAS NO FIRE, I WENT BACK INTO PLANE TO SHUT EVERYTHING OFF AND MOVE FUEL SWITCH TO OFF POSITION.

I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR 7 YEARS, AND HAVE OVER 500 HOURS TOTAL TIME AND HAVE OVER 180 HOURS IN THIS AIRCRAFT AND ANOTHER 125 HOURS IN A F33 BONANZA AND NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES. I ATTRIBUTE THIS INCIDENT TO THE EXTERNAL PRESSURE OF TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH TOO MANY THINGS IN ONE DAY COUPLED WITH DISTRACTION OF ANOTHER PLANE IN THE PATTERN, THIS RESULTED IN ME NOT USING MY PRE-LANDING CHECK LIST WHICH RESULTED IN GEAR UP LANDING.

NTSB investigation

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