Beech A36 accident near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, February 10, 2005
On February 10, 2005 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N6742S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi (Bay St. Louis airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to use the manual emergency landing gear extension mechanism during the approach to land, which resulted in the electrically actuated main landing gear collapsing during the landing roll. A factor associated with the accident is an inoperative alternator.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 10, 2005 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bay St. Louis, Mississippi · Bay St. Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N6742S · registry record · serial E1635
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner of the airplane heard a low thumping noise during takeoff on several occasions, which he associated with the landing gear. He flew the airplane to an airport to have a mechanic familiar with his airplane troubleshoot the noise. After a visual inspection failed to reveal the problem, a test flight was initiated. The mechanic seated in the rear of the airplane heard the noise, and after flying around for a few minutes, requested a return to the airport. During extension of the landing gear, the 3 green (gear down/locked) lights failed to illuminate. The pilot cycled the gear, but the lights again failed to illuminate. He stated he thought he had heard all the appropriate sounds associated with proper landing gear extension, and elected to continue the landing, without attempting the manual extension of the gear as prescribed in the "Emergency Procedures" section of the pilot's operating handbook. During the landing roll the landing gear collapsed. Postaccident testing of the landing gear was conducted with the airplane on jacks. Tests revealed that the charge on the battery was insufficient to extend the electrically operated landing gear completely. The battery was found to be capable of taking a charge, but further tests revealed no output from the alternator. The alternator's rotor was found to be defective and the electrical brushes excessively worn.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,166 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2004; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HSA Bay St. Louis MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 8,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 10:40 pm from KHSA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.