Beechcraft B 55 N216RW

Summary

On 19 June 2015 at about 15:08 local time, a Beechcraft B 55 registered N216RW was involved in an accident near Clearwater, Florida, United States. 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

19 June 2015 at 15:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Clearwater, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

St Pete-Clearwater Intl (PIE)

Coordinates

27.8994, -82.6867

Aircraft

Beechcraft B 55

Registration

N216RW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Panama City → Clearwater

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA249

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's delayed completion of the before landing checklist, including the extension of the landing gear, during an approaching thunderstorm, which resulted in a landing with the landing gear in transit and the subsequent collapse of the landing gear.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, after receiving clearance to land, he completed the before landing checklist. He added that, during the touchdown, the landing gear collapsed. According to photographs provided by the airport authority, the airplane came to rest on its belly with the right main and nose landing gears collapsed and the left main landing gear partially extended. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed that the outer sidewall of each main landing gear tire exhibited scuff marks and that the main landing gear door was scraped. Further examination revealed that both of the main landing gear extension rods were bent at the assembly actuator and that the nose landing gear extension/retraction rod was fractured. This evidence is consistent with a landing attempt with the landing gear in transit rather than fully extended as reported by the pilot. No preimpact mechanical abnormalities were noted with the landing gear system that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded weather at the time of the accident indicated that thunderstorms existed near the airport, and photographs taken shortly after the accident show thunderstorms at the airport. Therefore, it is possible that the pilot was distracted by the approaching thunderstorm, which led to his completing the before landing checklist too late during the approach for the landing gear to fully extend before landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.