NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR13CA422
Registry · N5894S
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
BEECH S35
Year of manufacture
1965 · 48 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19650128
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A79A4C
Registrant of record
V TAIL THERAPY LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's distracted attention and failure to extend the landing gear, which resulted in a gear up landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was instructed by air traffic control to enter a right downwind following a [corporate] jet that was on final approach, and he was warned about wake turbulence. The pilot further stated that as he observed the jet pass by, he turned to watch it land so he could land beyond its touchdown point. The pilot revealed that in doing so, this interrupted him from completing his landing checklist and he failed to extend the landing gear. The airplane subsequently landed gear up which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he was instructed by air traffic control to enter a right downwind following a corporate jet that was on final approach, and he was warned about wake turbulence. The pilot further stated that as he observed the jet pass by, he turned to watch it land so he could land beyond its touchdown point. The pilot revealed that in doing so, this interrupted him from completing his landing checklist and he failed to extend the landing gear. The airplane subsequently landed gear up which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot reported 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
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Pilot - C
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Configuration-Incorrect use/operation - C
- C Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Task monitoring/vigilance-Pilot - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2013_WPR13CA422.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (wake turbulence, turbulence). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Paper
Aircraft wake turbulence minimization by aerodynamic means
The paper reviews NASA's efforts on wake vortex turbulence minimization by aerodynamic design or retrofit modifications to large transport aircraft.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Paper
Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Arrivals (WTMA)
The preliminary Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Arrivals (WTMA) concept of operations is described in this paper. The WTMA concept provides further detail to work initiated by the Wake Vortex Avoidance…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Paper
Aircraft wake turbulence avoidance
Aircraft wake turbulence /trailing vortex systems/ avoidance during flight, describing procedures for pilots and tower operators
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Paper
Aircraft wake turbulence progress and plans
Aircraft wake turbulence and trailing vortices, investigating physical characteristics, hazard potential and avoidance techniques
- SKYbrary (Eurocontrol) 2023 · SKYbrary article
Wake Vortex Turbulence — SKYbrary Knowledge Base
SKYbrary wake vortex turbulence comprehensive article — generation mechanics, dissipation factors, separation standards (ICAO LIGHT/MEDIUM/HEAVY/SUPER + recategorisation RECAT-EU).
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
An Examination of Aviation Accidents Associated with Turbulence, Wind Shear and Thunderstorm
The focal point of the study reported here was the definition and examination of turbulence, wind shear and thunderstorm in relation to aviation accidents.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗