CHI04LA124

NTSB accident investigation · Beech 58 · Lansing, IL · May 1, 2002

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
May 1, 2002, 15:05 local (20:05 UTC)
Place
Lansing, IL
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N4097SBeech 58
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report January 24, 2005
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA-Dupage FSDO
FAA report
20020501020839I
Case key
59378

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The flight crew's failure to follow the checklist resulting in a landing without the landing gear extended.

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.

Wheels up landingLanding
Lack of certificationPilot in command(cfi)
Landing gear - not deployedFlightcrewCause
Checklist - not followedFlightcrewCause

Analysis

The airplane was damaged during a wheels-up landing. The flight was a non-revenue dual-instruction flight and the left seat pilot was flying the airplane at the time of the accident. The instructor, seated in the right seat, did not possess a multi-engine flight instructor rating. In a notarized questionnaire, the left seat pilot stated that the accident, "...would not have happened had each of us been alone. We got involved with each other and we both missed the final check." The repair work order did not list any landing gear components that were repaired or replaced.

Factual narrative

On May 1, 2002, about 1505 central daylight time, a Beech BE58, N4097S, was substantially damaged during a wheels-up landing on runway 09 (3,395 feet by 75 feet, asphalt) at the Lansing Municipal Airport, Lansing, Illinois. The 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight was being conducted by an airline transport pilot seated in the right seat and a commercial pilot seated in the left seat. It was reported that the right seat pilot was providing flight instruction to the left seat pilot. Neither pilot was injured. The flight originated from Detroit, Michigan, at an undetermined time. The extent of the aircraft damage was originally reported to have been minor. The National Transportation Safety Board was not informed of the true extent of the damage until April of 2004.

A work order provided by the aircraft owner indicates that the repairs to the airplane included lower fuselage skins, angles, stiffeners, and stringers. No repairs or replacement of landing gear components was indicated on the work order.

As of August 20, 2004, the right seat pilot has not submitted a report of the accident.

The aircraft owner provided a notarized questionnaire signed by the pilot that was seated in the left seat. The left seat pilot stated that the airplane was landed with the landing gear still in the retracted position. He also stated that he was the pilot flying the airplane and receiving dual-instruction on a non-revenue flight when the accident occurred. The left seat pilot stated that the accident, "...would not have happened had each of us been alone. We got involved with each other and we both missed the final check."

At the time of the accident, the pilot-in-command did not possess a multi-engine flight instructor rating.

At the time of the accident, both pilot's possessed pilot certificates with multi-engine ratings.

Aircraft

Registration
N4097S
Reported as
Beech 58
Category
Airplane
Serial number
TH-601
Engine
Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Northeast Aviation Inc
Registered owner
Rattlesden, Ltd
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
DTW · Detroit, MI
Destination
IGQ · Lansing, IL
Flight plan
Unknown
Airport
IGQ · Lansing Municipal, runway 09, 3,395 × 75 ft, asphalt

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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
60
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Right
Flight hours
7,000 total
Role
Student pilot
Age
45
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
2,050 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
60° at 12 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
7,500 ft broken
Temperature
61 °F, dew point 36 °F
Altimeter
29.69 inHg
Observed at
MDW, 18 nm away

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2004, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 675 KB 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.