ERA16CA080

NTSB accident investigation · Beech 200 · Clearwater, FL · January 4, 2016

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
January 4, 2016, 09:45 local (14:45 UTC)
Place
Clearwater, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N275XBeech 200
Defining event
Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 14, 2016
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20160104000269A
Case key
92528

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 properly configure the airplane's landing gear prior to landing, which resulted in a gear-up landing.

Findings · 2

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.

Use of equip/info: use of equip/systemPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotBeech 200: 1 caseAll aircraft: 1,391 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: configurationAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedBeech 200: 1 caseAll aircraft: 80 casesProbable cause

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 of the multiengine turbine-powered airplane departed on a positioning flight to a nearby airport to have the flaps examined. The pilot performed the landing checklist, which included extending the landing gear when the airplane was about 7 miles from the destination airport. Upon contacting the control tower, he was informed that the airplane was number two to land and was provided a vector for sequencing. After about 4 minutes, the pilot was instructed to turn toward the airport and cleared to land. The pilot stated that during his preparation for a no flap landing, he forgot that he had retracted and not subsequently lowered the landing gear. During the landing flare, the control tower stated "gear" and he attempted to abort the landing; however, the airplane contacted the runway and slid to a stop, about 2,500 feet beyond the beginning of the runway. A fuel bladder leak resulted in a fire in the area of the left engine nacelle and substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated that he did not hear a landing gear warning horn prior to the accident. According to the airplane flight manual, the landing gear warning would activate intermittently with the gear not down below a certain power setting. Postaccident damage precluded a functional check of the landing gear warning system; however, the pilot stated that he utilized additional power during the no flap landing and that he did not recall the specific power setting used. He further reported about 12,600 hours of total flight experience, which included about 955 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the multiengine turbine-powered airplane departed on a positioning flight to a nearby airport to have the flaps examined. The pilot performed the landing checklist, which included extending the landing gear when the airplane was about 7 miles from the destination airport. Upon contacting the control tower, he was informed that the airplane was number two to land and was provided a vector for sequencing. After about 4 minutes, the pilot was instructed to turn toward the airport and cleared to land. The pilot stated that during his preparation for a no flap landing, he forgot that he had retracted and not subsequently lowered the landing gear. During the landing flare, the control tower stated "gear" and he attempted to abort the landing; however, the airplane contacted the runway and slid to a stop, about 2,500 feet beyond the beginning of the runway. A fuel bladder leak resulted in a fire in the area of the left engine nacelle and substantial damage to the left wing. The plot stated that he did not hear a landing gear warning horn prior to the accident. According to the airplane flight manual, the landing gear warning would activate intermittently with the gear not down below a certain power setting. Postaccident damage precluded a functional check of the landing gear warning system; however, the pilot stated that he utilized additional power during the no flap landing and that he did not recall the specific power setting used. He further reported about 12,600 hours of total flight experience, which included about 955 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.

Aircraft

Registration
N275X
Reported as
Beech 200 (UNDESIGNAT)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
BB-502
Built
1979
Airframe hours
907
Engines
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-41, 850 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-41, 850 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Skyway Aircraft Inc
Registered owner
Skyway Aircraft Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · February 26, 2015
Departed
SPG · St Petersburg, FL
Destination
PIE · Clearwater, FL
Airport
PIE · St Pete-Clearwater Intl, runway 36R, 9,730 × 150 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, 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
73
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
November 22, 2014
Seat
Left
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
12,594 total · 954 in this make and model · 11,920 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
10° at 10 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
55 °F, dew point 45 °F
Altimeter
30.04 inHg
Observed at
PIE

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 7, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.