# NTSB LAX05LA254: Beech 95-B55, N5888J, Tucson, AZ, August 2, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 1, 2005, 20:02 local (Aug 2, 2005, 03:02 UTC) - Place: Tucson, AZ - Coordinates: 32.116111, -110.941108 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.1161&lon=-110.9411&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 29, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 62127 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX05LA254 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/62127/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA254 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadvertent retraction of the landing gear during the landing rollout. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Gear retraction on ground, landing - roll - gear retraction - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The pilot inadvertently retracted the landing gear during the landing rollout. The pilot reported that after takeoff he realized that he had forgotten documents for his business flight, so he returned to the airport and landed. No evidence of any mechanical malfunction was noted during the approach or initial portion of the landing rollout. As the airplane decelerated to about 60 knots and was rolling straight down the runway, the left main landing gear and the nose gear retracted. The airplane swerved off the runway and collided with a taxiway light. An examination of the landing gear system revealed no evidence of mechanical anomalies. ## Factual narrative On August 1, 2005, about 2002 mountain standard time, the pilot flying a Beech 95-B55, N5888J, inadvertently landed with the landing gear partially extended at the Tucson International Airport, Tucson, Arizona. As the airplane decelerated it veered off runway 21, impacted a taxiway light, and was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the business flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot was not injured. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from Tucson about 1945. The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that after takeoff he realized that he had forgotten documents for his business flight, so he returned to the airport and landed. No evidence of any mechanical malfunction was noted during the approach or initial portion of the landing rollout. As the airplane decelerated to about 60 knots and was rolling straight down the runway, the left main landing gear and the nose gear retracted. The airplane swerved left and directional control was lost. The pilot reported that he had used the pre-landing check list and lowered the landing gear. The airplane was subsequently examined under the direction of the Safety Board investigator. The examination did not reveal any mechanical anomalies with the landing gear retraction or extension system. The landing gear position lights operated normally. On the pilot's completed "Aircraft Accident Report" he indicated that his last aviation medical certificate was issued on June 7, 2005. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical records, his last medical certificate was issued on June 7, 2001. In a letter to the FAA, the medical doctor whose name appears on the certificate indicated that he had reviewed a faxed copy of the medical certificate and that, except for the "5" in the year 2005, the medical certificate appeared exactly the same as the certificate the doctor had issued on June 7, 2001. The doctor further stated in his letter that he had only seen the pilot one time, and that was on June 7, 2001. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5888J](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5888J-2007-05-19), registration cancelled 2007-05-19, S/N TC-955, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Beech 95-B55 - Registry model: [Beech 95-B55 (T42A)](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-b55-t42a) (registry code 1152706) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: TC-955 - Airframe hours: 5456 - Engines: Continental IO-470-L 260 horsepower reciprocating; Continental IO-470-L 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Operator: Ricardo V. Vargas - Registered owner: Aviones, LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 2005, 56 hours before - Departed: TUS, Tucson, AZ - Destination: CXL, Calexico, CA - Airport: TUS, Tucson International, runway 21, 7,000 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 46; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review March 1, 2004; seat: left; flight hours: 11,322 total, 602 in this make and model, 11,252 as pilot in command, 79 in the last 90 days, 50 in the last 30 days, 8 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/bright - Wind: 160° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 29.98 inHg - Observed at: TUS ## 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 20050801025289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050801025289A), Aug 1, 2005: Beech 95B55, Tucson, AZ, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot stated that the landing gear collapsed when he landed at Tucson causing the aircraft to skid off the runway resulting in damage to the propellers,… ## Other investigations on N5888J (1) 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. - [NTSB MIA70FKG40](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA70FKG40), Jun 15, 1970: Beech 95 (N5888J), Milledgeville, GA, substantial damage 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.