- Date
- June 29, 2018, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Spencer, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N67CDBeech A36
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180629008909A
- Case key
- 97734
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 before landing. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s failure to use the Before Landing checklist due to being distracted while communicating with other aircraft and controlling the airplane in the gusting wind conditions.
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
According to the pilot in the retractable-landing gear-equipped airplane, he did not extend the landing gear before landing. He reported that he became distracted while communicating with other aircraft and controlling the airplane in the gusting wind conditions. Further, he did not realize that what he perceived as the stall warning horn was actually the landing gear unsafe warning horn. He added that the accident could have been prevented by repeating his GUMPFS checklist on final and checking to ensure that the three green landing gear safe lights were illuminated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage bulkheads and spar carry-through. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot in the retractable landing gear-equipped airplane, he did not extend the landing gear prior to landing. He reported that he became distracted while communicating with other aircraft and controlling the airplane in the gusting wind conditions. Further, he did not realize that what he perceived as the stall warning horn, was the landing gear unsafe warning horn. Additionally, he reported that the accident could have been prevented by repeating his GUMPFS checklist on final and checking to ensure that the three green landing gear safe lights were illuminated. The airplane sustained substantial damage the lower fuselage bulkheads and spar carry-through. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67CD
- Reported as
- Beech A36
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-2554
- Built
- 1990
- Airframe hours
- 3,300.8
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Reeder Airlines LLC
- Registered owner
- Reeder Airlines LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 3, 2017
- Departed
- SUX · Sioux City, IA
- Destination
- SPW · Spencer, IA
- Airport
- SPW · Spencer Muni, runway 18, 5,100 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 3, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 387.2 total · 144.1 in this make and model · 237.3 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 10.1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 20 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- KMDS, 97 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 20, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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 N67CD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.