Beechcraft 58 N6CH

Summary

On 16 March 1999 at about 08:00 local time, a Beechcraft 58 registered N6CH was involved in an accident near St Croix. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 March 1999 at 08:00

Classification

Accident

Location

St Croix

Nearest airport

Henry E. Rohlsen (STX)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Beechcraft 58

Registration

N6CH

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Saint Thomas → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MIA99LA106

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight landed short of runway 09 in a flat attitude, and the airplane continued in an easterly direction, striking the lights at the arrival end of the runway before coming to rest. There was no radio communications from the airplane before the accident that indicated the pilot was experiencing any problems with the airplane. The pilot said, '...after turning final approach...I completed the before landing check and selected gear down position with a green light. Over the runway, I closed the throttles for touchdown when there was a thump and the aircraft dipped to the left, then skidded on it's belly to a stop on the left side off the runway in grass.' Examination of the landing gear revealed no discrepancies. The FAA inspector wrote in his memorandum to the NTSB, '...it is my firm belief that the pilot did not lower the landing gear at the time of the landing. There was no damage to the main landing gear doors or scratch marks at the doors which indicated the pilot never did lower the gear. All damage was in the structure (airframe)....'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.