NTSB LAX91LA284 — 1991-07-01 · BAKERSFIELD, California, United States

Current FAA registration · N7268R

Make / Model: BEECH E-55
Year of manufacture: 1975 · 16 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)
Seats / Engines: 6 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date: 19750109
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A9BD56

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N7268R Beech E-55 None

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION BY SELECTING GEAR UP INSTEAD OF FLAPS UP DURING THE LANDING ROLL-OUT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPLANE.

Factual narrative

THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 27 HOURS IN THE AIRPLANE AFTER RECEIVING A MULTIENGINE RATING. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AT THE SCENE SHOWED THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POSITION AND THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. DAMAGE TO THE GEAR DOORS AND GEAR ACTUATING RODS INDICATED THAT THE PILOT SELECTED GEAR UP INSTEAD OF FLAPS UP BEFORE THE GEAR STRUT SQUAT SWITCHES ACTIVATED TO PREVENT THE GEAR FROM RETRACTING. THE PILOT THEN SELECTED THE GEAR DOWN POSITION BUT THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE PREVENTED THE GEAR FROM EXTENDING, POPPING THE GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER. PRIOR TO OPERATING THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, THE PILOT OPERATED A TAILWHEEL, FIXED GEAR AIRPLANE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_LAX91LA284.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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