- Date
- September 21, 2013, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5894SBeech 35 - Undesignat
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130921017829A
- Case key
- 88121
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 distracted attention and failure to extend the landing gear, which resulted in a gear up landing.
Findings · 3
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 reported that he was instructed by air traffic control to enter a right downwind following a corporate jet that was on final approach, and he was warned about wake turbulence. The pilot further stated that as he observed the jet pass by, he turned to watch it land so he could land beyond its touchdown point. The pilot revealed that in doing so, this interrupted him from completing his landing checklist and he failed to extend the landing gear. The airplane subsequently landed gear up which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was instructed by air traffic control to enter a right downwind following a [corporate] jet that was on final approach, and he was warned about wake turbulence. The pilot further stated that as he observed the jet pass by, he turned to watch it land so he could land beyond its touchdown point. The pilot revealed that in doing so, this interrupted him from completing his landing checklist and he failed to extend the landing gear. The airplane subsequently landed gear up which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5894S
- Reported as
- Beech 35 - Undesignat (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-7765
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 5,262
- Engine
- Continental IO-550, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 11, 2012 · 96 hours before
- Departed
- PWT · Bremerton, WA
- Destination
- BFI · Seattle, WA
- Airport
- BFI · Boeing Field/King County Intl, runway 13R, 10,000 × 200 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 907 total · 273 in this make and model · 846 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.70 inHg
- Observed at
- BFI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 18, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 930 KB 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.