- Date
- May 29, 2015, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sunriver, OR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2984BBeech D35
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150529007749A
- Case key
- 91373
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 extend the landing gear, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction from completing his before landing checklist and inability to hear the gear warning horn annunciator in his headphones.
Findings · 4
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 reported that he entered the airport traffic pattern after a local sightseeing flight and began the before landing checklist. Three other aircraft announced their presence in the vicinity of the airport and the pilot turned his attention to locating the other aircraft without finishing the checklist. The pilot reported that he did not hear the gear warning horn annunciate while he was wearing his noise cancelling headset and landed with the gear retracted. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage supporting structure. After the accident, the airplane was put on jack stands and the landing gear was extended manually. The landing gear was not operated through the use of the airplane's electrical system. The pilot reported flying the airplane the previous day and the landing gear operated normally. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he entered the airport traffic pattern after a local sightseeing flight and began the before landing checklist. Three other aircraft announced their presence in the vicinity of the airport and the pilot turned his attention to locating the other aircraft without finishing the checklist. The pilot reported that he did not hear the gear warning horn annunciate while he was wearing his noise cancelling headset and landed with the gear retracted. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage supporting structure. After the accident, the airplane was put on jack stands and the landing gear was extended manually. The landing gear was not operated through the use of the airplane's electrical system. The pilot reported flying the airplane the previous day and the landing gear operated normally. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2984B
- Reported as
- Beech D35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-3624
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 5,259
- Engine
- Conitnental E-225, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 12, 2015
- Departed
- S21 · Sunriver, OR
- Destination
- S21 · Sunriver, OR
- Airport
- S21 · Sunriver, runway 18, 5,461 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 687 total · 126 in this make and model · 13 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KBDN, 17 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.
Other investigations on N2984B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.