Gear-up landing Accident Beechcraft D95A Travel Air N8950U,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 291074
 
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Date:Thursday 23 April 2015
Time:16:16 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE95 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft D95A Travel Air
Owner/operator:B G E Enterprises LLC
Registration: N8950U
MSN: TD-641
Year of manufacture:1965
Total airframe hrs:4301 hours
Engine model:Lycoming IO-360-B1B
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Jacksonville, Florida -   United States of America
Phase: Landing
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Harrison-Boone County Airport, AR (HRO/KHRO)
Destination airport:Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport, FL (CRG/KCRG)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The private pilot/owner reported that an air traffic controller vectored the airplane for the final approach for landing after the cross-country flight. The pilot noted that he performed the Before Landing checklist by rote and inadvertently positioned the flap handle believing that it was the landing gear handle. He added that he heard an electric motor actuate and that the airplane's speed and handling responded in a familiar fashion, so he continued the landing approach. The airplane subsequently landed with the landing gear retracted, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported that he did not confirm that the three green landing gear lights on the instrument panel had illuminated before landing but that the landing gear warning horn did not sound. The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

After recovery, the airplane was placed on jacks, and the landing gear was extended and retracted with no anomalies noted. The airplane was then configured for landing, and the throttles were reduced to the idle-power position. Once configured, the landing gear warning horn did not sound as prescribed. Troubleshooting of the gear warning horn could not be performed; therefore, the cause of the horn malfunction could not be determined.

The pilot reported that he experienced lengthy delays earlier in his trip, which lengthened his duty day and resulted in fatigue. The pilot stated that fatigue, distractions, and complacency could have been mitigated by a "strict adherence to the checklist and visual verification of gear status."

Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to properly configure the airplane for landing. Contributing to the accident were pilot fatigue, distraction, and complacency and the failure of the landing gear warning horn to sound for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: ERA15LA202
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 10 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB ERA15LA202

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
07-Oct-2022 09:12 ASN Update Bot Added

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