Beechcraft D35 N2967B

Summary

On 19 May 2016 at about 15:39 local time, a Beechcraft D35 registered N2967B was involved in an accident near Sevierville, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 May 2016 at 15:39

Classification

Accident

Location

Sevierville, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge (GKT)

Coordinates

35.8575, -83.5197

Aircraft

Beechcraft D35

Registration

N2967B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1953

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sevierville → Sevierville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16FA188

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to properly configure the landing gear and the pilot's inappropriate decision to abort the landing after the propeller had contacted the runway, which resulted in a loss of thrust and a subsequent loss of control of the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After takeoff on a personal flight, the private pilot of the complex, high performance airplane flew around the local area for about 30 minutes before returning to the airport to land. According to security camera video, witnesses, and physical evidence, the airplane touched down with the wing flaps down and the landing gear in the up (retracted) position. The propeller struck the ground multiple times as the airplane skidded along the ground on its belly. The pilot increased engine power, and the airplane lifted off. The airplane climbed slowly to a point about 450 feet beyond the departure end of the runway and then pitched up, rolled to the left, and impacted terrain. The pitch up and left roll were consistent with a loss of control due to the pilot exceeding the airplane's critical angle of attack and encountering an aerodynamic stall. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed that the landing gear doors were closed; all three landing gear were in their retracted positions in the gear wells; the emergency gear extension handle was stowed; and the push-pull rods from the gearbox to the "A" frame assemblies at the wheels were retracted. These findings indicated that the pilot had retracted the landing gear after takeoff and failed to extend the landing gear before landing. Examination of the propeller also revealed that it sustained significant impact damage from contacting the runway, which likely affected its aerodynamic performance and resulted in a loss of thrust during the pilot's aborted landing and attempted climb. Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that each pilot acting as pilot-in-command of an airplane must complete a flight review every 24 months to assess that pilot's flying skills, review of the pilot's logbooks revealed that his last flight review had occurred more than 10 years before the accident. Review of the pilot's logbook also indicated that the pilot had received 3.1 hours of flight instruction in the accident airplane about 1 year before the accident, but there was no record of the complex and high-performance endorsements required by the FAA to act as pilot-in-command of the airplane. During the examination of the wreckage, the remains of a Pilot's Operating Handbook and Airplane Flight Manual (POH/AFM) was found behind the pilot's and copilot's seats in the cabin, an area that was out of reach from the pilot's position. The POH/AFM contained a Before Landing Checklist that directed the pilot to extend the landing gear and check that it was down before landing. No checklists were found near the pilot's seat.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.