- Date
- April 18, 2000, 19:48 local (Apr 19, 2000, 00:48 UTC)
- Place
- Decatur, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9429QBeech 58
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000418038839A
- Case key
- 49044
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 failure of the pilot to extend the landing gear which resulted in the gear-up landing. A factor to the accident was the pilot's failure to complete the landing checklist.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The aircraft was damaged during a gear-up landing. According to the pilot's written statement, '...reached for the gear handle but for some reason I must not have selected gear down.' The pilot continued, 'Assumed the gear was down and continued with the landing. Flared to land with no gear and it settled on the belly...' The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by, 'use of checklist.' Post accident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
On April 18, 2000, at 1948 central daylight time, a Beech 58, N9429Q, owned and operated by the Gailforce Corporation, Janesville, Wisconsin, sustained substantial damage during a wheels-up landing on runway 18 (5,299 feet by 150 feet, dry concrete) at the Decatur Airport, Decatur, Illinois. Night visual metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The cargo flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 135 and was on an active instrument flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The flight departed the Greater Peoria Regional Airport, Peoria, Illinois at 1915.
According to the pilot's written statement, "...reached for the gear handle but for some reason I must not have selected gear down." The pilot continued, "Assumed the gear was down and continued with the landing. Flared to land with no gear and it settled on the belly maintained control with rudder and full back elevator."
The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by, "use of checklist."
Members from the Decatur Airport Fire and Rescue Unit and the Fix Base Operator examined the airplane at the Decatur Airport. The landing gear handle was found in the "up" position. The airplane was then raised and placed on jack-stands. When the landing gear handle was positioned to "down" the gear extended normally and the three green lights on the instrument panel illuminated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9429Q
- Reported as
- Beech 58
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TH200
- Airframe hours
- 5,359
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 28, 2000 · 91 hours before
- Departed
- PIA · Peoria, IL
- Destination
- DEC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DEC · Decatur Airport, runway 18, 5,300 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 26
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 300 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.