Beech BE-55B accident near Hampton, Georgia, November 18, 1998
On November 18, 1998 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Beech BE-55B, registered N21MJ, was destroyed in an accident near Hampton, Georgia (Clayton County Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 landing checklist that resulted in the wheels-up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 1998 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hampton, Georgia · Clayton County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-55B
- Registration
- N21MJ · registry record · serial 1508TC
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he had completed approximately one hour and forty-five minutes of training, and was returning to the local pattern at Tara Field. On final approach, the pilot executed S-turns to maintain separation from the other aircraft that was in the same traffic pattern. According to the pilot, 'The normal landing checklist was used up to the point of lowering the landing gear. However, due to the concerted effort to maintain the separation from the Cessna (another airplane in the traffic pattern), balance of the checklist was, obviously, not accomplished.' During the post-accident examination of the airframe, the landing gear transmission assembly showed a typical retraction position. The wheel examination also showed that the respective landing wheel was up and locked. The wreckage examination failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the pilot.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,838 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 21, 1998; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 4A7 at 6:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:20 pm from FFC, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N21MJ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL99FA021.