Skip to content

GAA18CA412

2018-06-29 · Spencer, Iowa, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SPW

Current FAA registration · N67CD

Make / Model
BEECH A36
Engine
CONT MOTOR IO-550 SERIES (300 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19900908
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A8D995

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s failure to use the Before Landing checklist due to being distracted while communicating with other aircraft and controlling the airplane in the gusting wind conditions.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot in the retractable landing gear-equipped airplane, he did not extend the landing gear prior to landing. He reported that he became distracted while communicating with other aircraft and controlling the airplane in the gusting wind conditions. Further, he did not realize that what he perceived as the stall warning horn, was the landing gear unsafe warning horn. Additionally, he reported that the accident could have been prevented by repeating his GUMPFS checklist on final and checking to ensure that the three green landing gear safe lights were illuminated. The airplane sustained substantial damage the lower fuselage bulkheads and spar carry-through. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot in the retractable-landing gear-equipped airplane, he did not extend the landing gear before landing. He reported that he became distracted while communicating with other aircraft and controlling the airplane in the gusting wind conditions. Further, he did not realize that what he perceived as the stall warning horn was actually the landing gear unsafe warning horn. He added that the accident could have been prevented by repeating his GUMPFS checklist on final and checking to ensure that the three green landing gear safe lights were illuminated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage bulkheads and spar carry-through. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Landing gear selector-Not used/operated - C
  • F Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of checklist-Pilot - F
  • F Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Attention-Pilot - F

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2018_GAA18CA412.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall). All research papers