- Date
- October 18, 1990, 14:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Watkins, CO
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2757TBeech 95-C55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901018046139A
- Case key
- 18050
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 inadvertent retraction of the landing gear. A factor was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane.
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 pilot was making a second touch-and-go landing on runway 35. He said he lowered the landing gear and observed a green light (safe) indication. The airplane landed wheels-up on the runway. Examination of the cockpit disclosed the landing gear selector was in the up position and the flap control was in the down position. The pilot said the touchdown was smooth and he raised the flaps and 'began to clean up the airplane' for takeoff. His attention was diverted when he began to lose directional control and 'the aircraft seemed to become airborne again.' According to a Beech aircraft corporation spokesman, the 95-C55 baron has a squat switch on the main landing gear that prevents inadvertent gear retraction so long as weight is applied to the struts. When the weight is removed, the gear will retract.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2757T
- Reported as
- Beech 95-C55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE-361
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C/CB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Denver Air Center
- Departed
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Airport
- FTG · Front Range, runway 35, 4,000 × 60 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
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 418 total · 8 in this make and model · 352 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- BKF, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.