# NTSB WPR15LA165: Raytheon B200, N505SP, Carlsbad, CA, May 16, 2015 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 16, 2015, 15:48 local (22:48 UTC) - Place: Carlsbad, CA - Coordinates: 33.126945, -117.278335 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1269&lon=-117.2783&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-climb to cruise: Electrical system malf/failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 28, 2017 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 91214 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR15LA165 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/91214/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91214 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15LA165 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadvertently turning on the starter switches, which turned off the generators and resulted in a loss of electrical power and gear-up landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to follow the emergency procedures for a loss of electrical power or to manually extend the landing gear. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Electrical power system: starter-generator](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022435): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Unintentional use/operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Raytheon B200, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022435/cases.md?model=7150006), [All aircraft, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022435/cases.md) - [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Raytheon B200, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md?model=7150006), [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: use of policy/procedure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063032): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Raytheon B200, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063032/cases.md?model=7150006), [All aircraft, 191 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063032/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Preflight or dispatch event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030); cases with it: [Raytheon B200, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030/sequence.md?model=7150006), [All aircraft, 355 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030/sequence.md) - [Enroute-climb to cruise: Electrical system malf/failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332) (defining event); cases with it: [Raytheon B200, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332/sequence.md?model=7150006), [All aircraft, 182 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332/sequence.md) ## Analysis The commercial pilot reported that, about 10 minutes after takeoff for a cross-country flight, the airplane experienced a loss of electrical power and that he lost contact with air traffic control (ATC). The pilot proceeded on a westerly course and then proceeded southbound. Partial electrical power was restored, and he tried to re-establish radio contact with ATC with no success. The pilot subsequently diverted to an airport for landing. After he received a green light signal from control tower personnel, the pilot extended the landing gear and flaps. When the airplane touched down, the pilot realized that the landing gear had not extended. During initial postaccident interviews, the pilot stated that, when he departed, the generators were on and that, after the loss of electrical power, he did not perform any emergency procedures or attempt to reset the generators because the checklist was in a cabinet that he could not reach. In a subsequent interview, the pilot stated that he may have accidently turned on the starter switches while on the ground at the departure airport, which would have turned off the generators and led to the loss of electrical power. After the accident, a mechanic entered the cockpit, and he reported that he found the landing gear handle in the "down" position and the flap handle in the "full-up" position. The battery switch was in the "off" position with the battery gang bar down, which turned off the battery, generator 1, and generator 2. After lifting the gang bar and turning on the battery switch, he saw nothing on the cockpit displays but heard the airplane power up. After about 30 minutes, he turned on the electrical power, and the cockpit displays illuminated, and he heard the landing gear trying to extend. During recovery, the airplane was lifted off the ground, and the landing gear were successfully extended to the down-and-locked position using the emergency gear extension hand pump. It is likely that the pilot inadvertently turned on the starter switches, which turned off the generators, at the departure airport, and that this led to the depletion of the battery and loss of electrical power to the airplane's systems. If the pilot had the emergency checklist available and followed the emergency procedures for a loss of electrical power, which required resetting the generators, or if he had attempted to manually extend the landing gear, he likely could have lowered the landing gear. ## Factual narrative The pilot checklist emergency procedures for a dual generator failure identifies the first step to reset the generators, then on. If the generators do not reset, the checklist identifies for landing, to extend the landing gear manually. On May 16, 2015, at 1548, Pacific daylight time, a Beech King Air B200, N505SP, was substantially damaged when the airplane landed with the landing gear retracted at Mc Clellan-Palomar Airport (CRQ), Carlsbad, California. The airplane was registered to and operated by the commercial pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot was not injured. The cross-country personal flight departed Palm Springs (PSP), California, about 1515 with a planned destination of Santa Ana, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported that 10 minutes into the flight, he received an instrument flight rules flight plan from air traffic control (ATC). The cloud tops were at 8,500 feet and he was cleared to 6,000 ft, which put him in the clouds. Within minutes of entering the clouds, the airplane lost all electrical power, and the pilot lost contact with ATC. He climbed back out of the clouds and proceeded to the west; he found a hole in the clouds over the Pacific Ocean, descended, and turned southbound. He said partial electrical power was restored, and he tried to advise ATC of his problems. His transmissions were not understood, but he flew to CRQ, and received a green light from the tower personnel. He extended the landing gear and flaps but had no airspeed indicator. When the airplane touched down, the pilot realized that his landing gear had not extended. Witnesses reported that the airplane approached the runway and was faster than a normal landing, and the gear was still retracted. The pilot reported during an initial telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, that after the loss of electrical power he did not perform any emergency procedures as the checklist was in a cabinet and not reachable; he was just trying to fly the airplane. The pilot stated that when he departed from PSP, the generators were on. When asked if he attempted to reset the generators, he again stated that he did not do any emergency procedures except to fly the airplane. In a later interview, the pilot stated that he may have accidently turned on the starter switches, which would have turned off the generators and accounted for the loss of electrical power. A mechanic was dispatched to help defuel the airplane about 30 minutes after the accident. He reported that fuel was leaking from the right wing so he disconnected the battery. He opened an access panel but was unable to mechanically turn off the fuel selector valve (FSV). He reconnected the battery and went into the cockpit. He saw that the landing gear handle was in the down position, and the flap handle was in the full up position. The battery switch was inthe OFF position with the battery gang bar down, which turned off the battery, generator 1, and generator 2. After lifting up the gang bar and turning on the battery switch, he saw nothing on the cockpit displays but heard the airplane power up. He located the FSV, turned it off, and confirmed with a firefighter that the solenoid in the wing audibly closed. The mechanic turned the electrical power off and disconnected the battery. The fuel leak from the right engine filter bowl stopped. It took the mechanic about 30 minutes to gather the equipment needed to defuel the airplane, and he decided to start with the right side by connecting to the engine supply line. He reconnected the battery and entered the cockpit to turn on the electrical power. With power on, the cockpit displays illuminated, and he heard the landing gear try to operate to the down position. After another mechanic pulled the circuit breaker for the avionics, he defueled the airplane. During recovery, the airplane was lifted off the ground, and the landing gear were successfully extended to the down and locked position. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N505SP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N505SP), registered now, S/N BB-1538, built 1996 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY B200 (UNDESIGNAT) - Registry model: [Raytheon B200](https://openairdocs.org/model/raytheon-b200) (registry code 7150006) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-42) (registry code 52062, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: BB-1538 - Year built: 1996 - Airframe hours: 3962.4 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52 850 horsepower turbo prop; Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52 850 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, December 16, 2014 - Departed: PSP, PALM SPRINGS, CA - Destination: CRQ, Carlsbad, CA - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: CRQ, Mc Clellan-Palomar, runway 24, 4,897 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 68; injuries: none; commercial, private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 31, 2013; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 5,230 total, 330 in this make and model, 5,050 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: KCRQ ## 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 20150516011879A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150516011879A), May 16, 2015: Raytheon Aircraft Company B200, Carlsbad, CA, Substantial damage. About fifteen minutes after departure from palm springs, CA, enroute to santa ana, CA, the pilot started experiencing an electrical failure. Eventually, he… ## Other investigations on N505SP (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 WPR21LA253](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA253), May 10, 2021: Raytheon B200 (N505SP), Palm Springs, CA, minor damage. Probable cause: The Kingair pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from another airplane while taxiing, which resulted in a ground collision. ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2017, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91214. 3.8 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40457220&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - FAA Record of Conversation - Mechanic (item 2, .PDF, 12 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40457221&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Mechanic-Master.PDF - FAA Record of Conversation - Previti (item 3, .PDF, 12 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40457222&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Previti-Master.PDF - Revised Statement of Mechanic (item 4, .PDF, 303 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40457223&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Revised%20Statement%20of%20Mechanic-Master.PDF - Aircraft Checklist (item 5, .PDF, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40457224&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Aircraft%20Checklist-Master.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 6, .PDF, 53 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40457225&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Master.PDF 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.