No fatalities

11 Mar 2010: BEECH A35 — Marfa, TX

Marfa, TX, United States

On 11 Mar 2010, a BEECH A35 was involved in an aviation accident near Marfa, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 11 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During the landing flare, a pilot realized the landing gear was not extended after the step contacted the runway. A go-around was initiated but the airplane did not climb as expected. The pilot turned right to attempt landing on runway 21, then extended the gear, resulting in a rapid descent and impact with terrain.

Accident Narrative

According to a telephone conversation with the pilot, during the landing flare, the pilot realized that the landing gear had not been extended when the "step" contacted the runway. The pilot initiated a go-around; however, the airplane did not climb as expected. The pilot turned the airplane to the right in an attempt to land on runway 21. When it was apparent that the pilot would not make it to runway 21, he extended the landing gear, at which time the airplane descended rapidly and impacted terrain.

Aircraft Damage

Post-impact examination revealed that the left main landing gear and nose landing gear collapsed. The left wing spar and ribs were damaged. Further examination revealed that the propeller had impacted the runway during the first landing attempt.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.

Contributing factors

PilotNot used/operated