- Date
- March 29, 1983, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- El Paso, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3732NBeech 35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830329010029A
- Case key
- 20850
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
On a flt after an annual inspn, the plt could not retract the gear, using the normal electrical sys. It remained extended with the green safe light on & the gear pointer indicating down. He tried to assist the normal sys with the manual handcrank, although the plt handbook did not allow this practice, but to no avail. He then used the handcrank to move the gear to the extended position, but the green light would not reilluminate. The plt elected to land on the dirt overrun area, but did not see a graded dirt bank, short of the overrun. The gear hit the bank & collapsed during the landing. The landing gear circuit breaker was found in the 'popped' position. The normal & emergency gear sys had been checked during the annual inspection. The mechanic said that all breakers were in on the day before the flt. Reportedly, the plt was unaware of a checklist item to assure all breakers were in before starting the eng. The investigation did not reveal when or why the landing gear circuit breaker got into the popped position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3732N
- Reported as
- Beech 35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-941
- Engine
- Continental E-185-8, 196 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pearson R. Crosby
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 26, 1983 · 1 hours before
- Destination
- 24LL · Petersburg, IL
- Airport
- TX04 · West Texas, runway 26, 4,100 × 30 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
- 70
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 25 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots, gusting 8
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.