- Date
- February 15, 1986, 18:33 local (23:33 UTC)
- Place
- Ft. Myers, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N163QBeech 55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860215002719A
- Case key
- 31577
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
The plt stated that he had experienced an electrical failure & because it was getting dark, he could not see the mechanical landing gear position indicator. He said that he performed a 'gump' check & verified that the gear handle was in the down position, but the gear position lights were out. The plt stated that the gear warning horn did not sound & a gear-up landing was performed. A post accident exam revealed that the battery was dead & the radio, lights, transponder & rotating beacon switches were in the on position. Both generator switches were in the off position. After the battery was charged, all systems and lights worked normally, the plt said he did not connect the electrical problem with the landing gear. He stated that the accident could have been avoided if he had verified the gear position by the mechanical gear position indicator with his flashlight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N163Q
- Reported as
- Beech 55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-671
- Airframe hours
- 3,500
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-L, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Felix T. Brittain
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 15, 1985 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- X00 · Pt Of The Isle, FL
- Airport
- FMY · Ft. Myers, runway 31, 4,998 × 150 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,195 total · 210 in this make and model · 1,120 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 330° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FMY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.