ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 278891
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| Date: | Saturday 9 November 2019 |
| Time: | 11:24 LT |
| Type: |  Beechcraft B55 Baron |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N686DR |
| MSN: | TC-1049 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1967 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3994 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-470-L |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Griffin, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Griffin, GA (6A2) |
| Griffin, GA (6A2) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported that he was giving rides in his airplane and the accident flight was the fifth flight of the morning. After the passengers boarded, the pilot taxied to the runway and completed the before takeoff checklist, then applied full power for takeoff. He reported that everything appeared normal during the takeoff roll, but, as the airplane approached 70 knots, about one third of the way down the runway, the landing gear suddenly retracted and the airplane skidded off the right side of the runway before coming to rest partially on the grass and runway pavement.
Postaccident examination of the airplane and landing gear system found that the gear handle operated normally, and the landing gear functioned as designed. No anomalies were discovered with the system that would preclude normal operation.
Following the accident, the pilot noticed that the landing gear handle was in the up, or retracted, position. It is likely that, at some point while on the ground, the landing gear handle was inadvertently moved to the retracted position, possibly by one of the numerous passengers during exit or entry. During the takeoff roll, once the airplane started to gain lift, the weight on the wheels was reduced to a point that allowed for the landing gear retraction system to activate, which resulted in the landing gear retracting at an airspeed at which the airplane was unable to become airborne. The airplane's initial checklist included a line item to check that the landing gear lever was down. The pilot did not observe that the landing gear lever position was in the retracted position prior to takeoff.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to ensure that the airplane was properly configured for takeoff, which resulted in the inadvertent retraction of the landing gear during the takeoff roll and the airplane's subsequent runway excursion.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA20LA035
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Jun-2022 09:16 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 07-Jun-2023 20:53 | Ron Averes | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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