- Date
- October 11, 2014, 17:44 local (22:44 UTC)
- Place
- Effingham, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N718CDBeech 35-B33
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 13, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20141011017719A
- Case key
- 90254
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that 30 minutes after departure at 6,000 feet mean sea level, the airplane's door opened in flight. He stated that the temperature dropped, papers went flying about the cabin, and the noise was 'overwhelming.' The passenger tried to hold the door shut, but could not secured it. The pilot diverted to a nearby airport for landing. The pilot stated that he "simply forgot to put the gear down." The airplane touched down and skidded on its belly resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's stringers, formers, and main spar carry through. The pilot reported that there was no malfunction or system failure of the airplane before the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that 30 minutes after departure at 6,000 feet mean sea level, the airplane's door opened in flight. He stated that the temperature dropped, papers went flying about the cabin, and the noise was 'overwhelming.' The passenger tried to hold the door shut, but could not secured it. The pilot diverted to a nearby airport for landing. The pilot stated that he "simply forgot to put the gear down." The airplane touched down and skidded on its belly resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's stringers, formers, and main spar carry through. The pilot reported that there was no malfunction or system failure of the airplane before the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N718CD
- Reported as
- Beech 35-B33
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CD-718
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 3,630
- Engine
- Cont Motor I0-470 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bussing Robert C
- Registered owner
- Bussing Robert C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 6, 2014 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- EVV · Evansville, IN
- Destination
- SPI · Springfield, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 1H2 · Effingham County Memorial, runway 01, 3,400 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 805 total · 250 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- SPI, 62 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 10, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.