- Date
- February 12, 2008, 15:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N34KFBeech A45
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Electrical system malf/failure
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080212012139A
- Case key
- 67545
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 improper decision to fly the airplane with a discharged battery, which resulted in a total electrical failure during takeoff climb. Contributing factors were the pilot's inability to verify the landing gear position, and the impact with the runway sign.
Findings · 5
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 stated that the airplane the battery was dead, and he used an external source to "charge/start the airplane." The taxi and initial takeoff were uneventful. During the landing gear retraction after takeoff, the airplane "lost total electrical power." The pilot elected to continue the flight and troubleshoot the electrical failure. With no electrical power, the pilot had no communications, and had to manually extend the landing gear. A second airplane flew near the accident airplane to help verify that the landing gear was extended. The landing gear appeared to be extended, and the pilot attempted to land the airplane. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane went off the runway. The right wing impacted a runway sign, and the nose landing gear and left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest upright approximately 10 feet off the runway. An examination of the airplane showed that the aircraft battery was completely discharged. The owner of the airplane reported that the alternator would not be able to handle the electrical load during landing gear retraction without battery power.
Factual narrative
On February 12, 2008, approximately 1505 mountain standard time, a Beech A45 single-engine airplane, N34KF, sustained substantial damage when the right wing impacted a runway sign following the collapsed of the right main landing gear during landing roll at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by Goldwing Aviation, LLC, Englewood, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 demonstration flight. The local flight departed at 1454.
According to the pilot, prior to starting the airplane the battery was dead, and he used an external source to "charge/start the airplane." The pilot stated the taxi and initial takeoff were uneventful. During the landing gear retraction after takeoff, the airplane "lost total electrical power." The pilot elected to continue the flight and troubleshoot the electrical failure. Due to the loss of electrical power, the pilot had no communications and had to manually extend the landing gear. A second airplane flew near the accident airplane to try and verify whether the landing gear was extended. The landing gear appeared to be extended, and the pilot attempted to land the airplane. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane departed the runway surface. The right wing impacted a runway sign, and the nose landing gear and left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest upright approximately 10 feet off the runway.
Examination of the airplane by the owner and a local mechanic revealed the right wing spar and wing ribs were bent.
According to a maintenence technician who examined the airplane, the aircraft battery was completely discharged. The owner of the airplane reported that the alternator would not be able to handle the electrical load during landing gear retraction without battery power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34KF
- Reported as
- Beech A45
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- G-120
- Airframe hours
- 7,847
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Goldwing Aviation, LLC
- Registered owner
- Robert E. Gold
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2007
- Departed
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Airport
- APA · Centennial Airport, runway 35R, 10,002 × 100 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2006
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 8,340 total · 1,844 in this make and model · 8,180 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- APA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.