2016 Beech D35 Gear-Up Accident at Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport (N2967B)

Accident Overview and Flight History On May 19, 2016, at approximately 1139 eastern daylight time, a Beech D35, registration N2967B, sustained substantial damage when it struck terrain during an aborted landing at Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport (GKT) in Sevierville, Tennessee. The aircraft had made a gear-up touchdown, resulting in the fatal injury of the private pilot. The flight was a local personal operation under 14 CFR Part 91, with no flight plan filed. Security camera footage indicated the aircraft taxied out at 1057 and took off from runway 10 at 1102. After circling the area for about 30 minutes, the aircraft approached runway 10 at 1138 and touched down with the landing gear retracted and wing flaps extended. The aircraft skipped, became airborne, and climbed slowly with visible pitch and roll oscillations until it reached approximately 25 feet above the runway surface, at which point it left the camera's view. Witnesses reported that the propeller struck the ground during the initial touchdown, causing the aircraft to skid on its belly. The engine subsequently increased power, and the aircraft lifted off but appeared highly unstable in ground effect. It then pitched up, rolled to the left, and impacted the terrain.