- Date
- September 3, 2012, 19:30 local (Sep 4, 2012, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Spanoway, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4QCBeech 95-55
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 11, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120903018329A
- Case key
- 84893
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.
Findings · 2
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 performed a go-around and raised the landing gear and flaps. On the second approach, he lowered the flaps partially but did not lower the landing gear. He stated that he didn’t think that the gear warning activated. After landing with the landing gear up, the pilot and his passenger were able to exit the airplane before it caught fire causing substantial damage to the cabin.
Factual narrative
The pilot made a go-around following his first approach, and raised the landing gear and flaps. On the second approach, he lowered the flaps partially, but did not lower the landing gear. He stated that he didn’t think that the gear warning activated. After landing with the landing gear up, the pilot and his passenger were able to exit the airplane before it caught fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4QC
- Reported as
- Beech 95-55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-174
- Airframe hours
- 4,901
- Engines
- Cont Motor IO-470-L, 260 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor I0-470-L, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Postma
- Registered owner
- Western Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 9, 2012
- Departed
- FHR · Friday Harbor, WA
- Destination
- S44 · Spanoway, WA
- Airport
- S44 · Spanaway, runway 34, 2,700 × 20 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
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 14, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 939 total · 80 in this make and model · 782 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KTCM
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.