# NTSB GAA18CA239: Beech 76, N54V, Vacaville, CA, April 27, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: April 27, 2018, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC) - Place: Vacaville, CA - Coordinates: 38.378334, -121.961112 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3783&lon=-121.9611&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 24, 2018 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: General Aviation Accidents - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 97133 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=GAA18CA239 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/97133/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97133 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA239 ## Probable cause The pilot under instruction’s failure to extend the landing gear and the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision and failure to ensure that the landing gear was extended. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: forgotten action/omission](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech 76, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md?model=1153005), [All aircraft, 440 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md) - [Landing gear system: gear extension and retract sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operated (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech 76, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md?model=1153005), [All aircraft, 416 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md) - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535): Personnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech 76, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md?model=1153005), [All aircraft, 200 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900); cases with it: [Beech 76, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=1153005), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech 76, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md?model=1153005), [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor was giving instruction in the multiengine, retractable-landing gear-equipped airplane. On the downwind leg in the pattern, he asked the pilot under instruction to perform a simulated single-engine emergency landing with the left engine shutdown. It was the pilot under instruction's first training flight in a multiengine airplane, and he asked a series of questions of the flight instructor during the procedure. The instructor reported that they both became distracted and forgot to extend the landing gear. The airplane landed with the landing gear retracted and came to rest on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wingspar and longerons. The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative The flight instructor was giving instruction in a multi-engine, retractable landing gear-equipped airplane. On the downwind leg in the pattern he and asked the student to perform a simulated single-engine emergency landing with the left engine shutdown. It was the student's first training flight in a multi-engine airplane, and he asked a series of questions to the flight instructor during the procedure. The instructor reported that they both became distracted and forgot to extend the landing gear. The airplane landed with the landing gear retracted and came to rest on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing-spar and longerons. Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, in the Recommendation section the instructor reported that the accident could have been prevented by implementing a sterile cockpit during critical phases of flight, per the flight school's operations manual. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N54V](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N54V), registered now, S/N ME-313, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 76 (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Beech 76](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-76) (registry code 1153005) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: ME-313 - Year built: 1980 - Airframe hours: 2377.5 - Engines: LYCOMING O-360-A1G6D 180 horsepower reciprocating; LYCOMING LO-360-A1G6D 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Wings Flight School - Registered owner: Skyking Aviation Services LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 2, 2018 - Departed: VCB, Vacaville, CA - Destination: VCB, Vacaville, CA - Airport: VCB, Nut Tree, runway 20, 4,700 × 75 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Satellite tracking device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 29; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review July 26, 2017; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 912 total, 54 in this make and model, 837 as pilot in command, 290 in the last 90 days, 111 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 26; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 8, 2016; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,531 total, 1 in this make and model, 1,451 as pilot in command, 47 in the last 90 days, 21 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 210° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,700 ft broken - Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 30.10 inHg - Observed at: KSUU, 7 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20180427004209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180427004209A), Apr 27, 2018: Beech 76, Vacaville, CA, Substantial damage. CFI reported that they conducted 4 previous landings uneventfully to a full stop and that the accident occurred on the 5th landing, which was the first… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97133. 999 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 897 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40466677&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Photograph (item 2, .PDF, 1 photo, 102 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40466678&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photograph-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.