On December 24, 1984, a Beech 95-C55 (registration N4826J) was involved in an aviation accident near San Antonio, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to complete the landing checklist and verify that the landing gear was down and locked, which resulted in a gear-up landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot failed to complete the landing checklist, resulting in a gear-up touchdown and post-crash fire. All three gears were found cranked down after recovery.
What happened
The pilot attempted to extend the landing gear but did not fully complete the landing checklist. Specifically, the pilot failed to verify that the gear was down and locked before touchdown. The aircraft landed with the landing gear retracted, resulting in a nose-down impact with the ground. A small post-crash fire occurred following the initial contact.
During the approach, the pilot had been instructed to maintain speed. Despite this instruction, the pilot did not hear the gear warning horn, which would have indicated that the landing gear was not properly configured for landing.
The investigation
Following the recovery of the wreckage, investigators examined the landing gear mechanism. All three landing gears were found in a cranked-down position after the aircraft was recovered from the crash site.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to complete the landing checklist and verify that the landing gear was down and locked, which resulted in a gear-up landing.