History of Flight
On March 12, 2024, at 0805 mountain daylight time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company B200 King Air airplane, registration N299AV, was substantially damaged during a landing accident near Billings, Montana. The pilot and safety pilot were not injured. The flight was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight.
The pilot reported flying the airplane for 5.8 hours the previous day. On the accident morning, he planned to depart Billings Logan International Airport (BIL) for a 17-minute flight to Colstrip Airport (M46) to pick up passengers. He stated he did not feel hurried.
After departure from BIL, the pilot received a "RA Fail" message (radio altimeter failure) followed by a "PT Fail" amber light (pitch trim failure) on the primary and multi-function displays. The electrical panels began to shut down. Both pilots recognized a total loss of electrical power.
The pilot began a descending turn back to BIL. The safety pilot searched for an electrical failure checklist but could not find one; he then began reading the manual landing gear extension checklist. The BIL tower controller cleared the pilot to land using a green light gun signal. The pilot opted to enter the traffic pattern on an extended base leg for runway 28R. He pulled the landing gear circuit breaker on base leg and unstowed the emergency landing gear extension bar. After about 30 pumps (approximately one minute), he felt pressure on the handle. Both pilots saw the main landing gear extend through windows but could not verify down-and-locked because the gear indicator lights were inoperative due to loss of electrical power.
With flaps retracted, the airplane touched down on runway 28R. The pilot stated the main landing gear buckled, followed by the nose landing gear. Propellers contacted the runway as the belly slid, damaging both engines.
When asked if he reset the generators in flight, the pilot could not recall. He described the generator reset switches as silver switches without a gang bar, pressed down to reset. He stated switches under the gang bar were used only for engine starting.
ADS-B data reviewed by investigators showed the airplane departed runway 28R about 0742, made a gradual climbing right turn to the east, and the track ended about 0747.
Personnel Information
According to FAA records, the pilot had 186 hours as pilot-in-command in the same make and model. Operator records showed 146 total flight hours between October 1, 2023, and the accident, with 32.7 hours in the accident airplane. His most recent medical certificate required corrective lenses.
The pilot completed his most recent Part 135 recurrent training in a Beechcraft King Air 200 with G1000 avionics on October 19, 2023. The three-day training included satisfactory completion of knowledge tests on aircraft systems and emergency procedures, and instrument proficiency checks. He logged 6 hours of simulator flight with 10 takeoffs and 7 landings, including simulated landing gear and flap-system malfunctions. The curriculum also included 11 hours of ground training and 4.5 hours of briefing/debriefing.
Initial King Air 200 training was completed on November 1, 2022, with 40.5 hours of ground instruction and 11.5 hours of flight training.
The pilot stated that during training on manual landing gear extension, he consistently verified illumination of three green indicator lights confirming down-and-lock. During the accident flight, he could not obtain this visual confirmation due to complete electrical power loss.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, a Raytheon B200 King Air, was purchased by the operator in February 2006. The hour meter read 8,712.4 hours. The battery was installed new in June 2020 and had been removed for servicing four times; it was last serviced on October 18, 2023, at an airplane total time of 13,741.1 hours, with a recorded capacity of 93.90% after reconditioning.
Engine Start Procedure
According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), the battery engine start procedure begins with the right ignition and engine start switch set to "ON." When the right engine reaches 12% N1 or greater, the right condition lever is placed to "LOW IDLE." The pilot monitors ITT (limit 1,000°C) and N1, and verifies oil pressure. At 50% N1 or greater, the right ignition switch is turned "OFF" and the condition lever advanced to "HIGH IDLE." The right generator switch is momentarily placed to "GEN RESET" then "ON." The battery charge annunciator light should illuminate until loadmeter reads 50% or less. The same procedure is repeated for the left engine.
Starter/Generator System
The battery, left generator (GEN 1), and right generator (GEN 2) switches are red-tipped, guarded toggle switches under a gang bar with a piano hinge. The gang bar allows turning all three switches off simultaneously. Generator switch positions are "GEN RESET–ON–OFF." To bring a generator online, the switch is held in spring-loaded "GEN RESET" for at least one second, then released to "ON."
Below are the left and right ignition and engine start switches: unguarded metal toggles with positions "ON–OFF–STARTER ONLY." Placing an ignition switch to any position except "OFF" shuts off the same-side generator; the generator cannot come online until the ignition switch is "OFF." The starter circuit takes precedence over the generator circuit.
According to the POH, after a dual generator failure, battery life is about 30 minutes for a typical airplane, depending on loads, battery condition, and equipment.
Manual Landing Gear Extension
The POH instructs pilots to unstow and pump the alternate extension handle. It states that if one or more green gear-down annunciators do not illuminate and a decision is made to land, the pilot should continue pumping until maximum resistance is felt. No specific pressure or time duration is provided.
Flight Recorders
The Garmin G1000 avionics system recorded flight data. The electrical system powered on at 0617:58 for 7 minutes (consistent with flight plan entry), then again at 0629:03. One engine torque started at 0633:20, the other at 0636:17. Taxi began at 0638:14, departure roll at 0642:32, and data ended at 0647:05.
Tests and Research
When asked about the engine start procedure used for the accident flight, the pilot stated he started the left engine first, waited about 7-8 seconds for N1 to stabilize, then brought the condition lever to high idle (about 52%). He recalled positioning the three-setting switch down to change from starter to generator, verified both voltmeters indicated loads below 50%, and then started the right engine with a cross-generator start. He did not perform an engine run-up.
Postaccident examination revealed the master battery switch was "OFF," both generator switches were "ON," and starter switches were "OFF." The caution-advisory annunciator panel was examined without power. The "L DC GEN" light had a small piece of debris (consistent with thin wire casing and a single wire strand) between the housing and metal rack. One bulb had a broken filament; the other bulb's condition could not be determined. The "R DC GEN" light had bulbs with broken filaments.
With the battery connected and battery switch "ON," the annunciator panel test illuminated all lights except the left and right generator lights. After resetting the left generator light, it illuminated dimly. Testing with a replacement bulb, the left generator light illuminated but the right did not.
The main battery (28-volt lead-acid) was found disconnected; voltage was 24 volts. A capacity test applying 42 amps showed voltage dropping to 22.2 volts after 30 seconds, 21.3 volts after 6 minutes, and failure at 19.99 volts after 8 minutes 12 seconds. The mechanic noted normal batteries would indicate 23.8-24.2 volts after 30 seconds.
When placed on jacks, investigators cycled the landing gear manually and electrically; both systems functioned normally. Manual extension required about 70-80 pumps (1-1.5 minutes) to reach a locked position.
Additional Information
The NTSB accident database shows at least three previous similar events in the same make/model. A search of the Aviation Safety Reporting System database revealed four similar instances involving electrical power loss due to generator/starter switch issues.