Pilot Debrief

BEECH 58 near Gary, IN — 2015-09-11

Final reportCEN15LA415
Sign in to save
Date
2015-09-11
Location
Gary, IN, USA
Airport
GYY
Aircraft
BEECH 58
Registration
N4199S
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to ensure that the landing gear was down while on short final, his subsequent failure to conduct a go-around, and his loss of situational awareness of the airplane’s altitude above the runway while landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he lowered the landing gear about 5 miles from the airport while flying an instrument approach. While on short final and as he was turning off the airplane's positioning lights so that the landing gear indicator lights would brighten, the propellers struck the runway, indicating that he likely loss situational awareness of the airplane's altitude above the runway. The airplane then skidded on its belly on the runway. The examination of the airplane revealed that the wing spar sustained substantial damage. The nose landing gear (NLG) doors sustained scraping damage consistent with the NLG being retracted upon touchdown. During postaccident examinations, the main landing gear and NLG lowered and raised normally, and the landing gear indicator lights operated normally. The landing checklist should be accomplished after the landing gear is lowered and the airplane is in the landing configuration. While on short final, if there are doubts about the landing gear configuration, a go-around should be accomplished. Given that the pilot had not ensured that the landing gear was down, he should have conducted a go-around.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have executed a go-around if unsure about landing gear configuration.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

Related mishaps