- Date
- November 14, 2008, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Port Townsend, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N411BBeech K35
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20081114853949A
- Case key
- 73284
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 lower the landing gear prior to landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to use a checklist and the distraction caused by the discussion with the passenger.
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 decided to make a straight-in visual-flight-rules approach to the destination airport after a flight of less than 10 minutes from his point of departure. There was departing traffic at the non-controlled destination airport and the pilot said that he became distracted while discussing that traffic with his passenger. The pilot, who said he normally makes sure that the gear is down while on downwind, did not use a checklist and failed to lower the gear prior to landing. The subsequent contact with the runway surface resulted in damage to a fuselage bulkhead.
Factual narrative
The pilot decided to make a straight-in visual flight rules (VFR) approach to the destination airport after a flight of less than 10 minutes from his point of departure. There was departing traffic at the non-controlled destination airport and the pilot said he became distracted while discussing that traffic with his passenger. The pilot, who said he normally makes sure the gear is down while on downwind, did not use a checklist and failed to lower the gear prior to landing. The subsequent contact with the runway surface resulted in damage to a fuselage bulkhead.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N411B
- Reported as
- Beech K35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-5960
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental Motors IO-470-SER, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Henry A. Schilling
- Registered owner
- Henry A. Schilling
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- W28 · Sequim, WA
- Destination
- 0S9 · Port Townsend, WA
- Airport
- 0S9 · Jefferson Co. Internat'l A/P, runway 09, 3,000 × 75 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
- 83
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 23, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,150 total · 550 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.