Beech A36 accident near Hondo, Texas, October 22, 2025
On October 22, 2025 at about 9:35 pm local time, a 1977 Beech A36, registered N17826, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Hondo, Texas (South Texas Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing due to distraction and his failure to conduct the Before Landing checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 2025 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Hondo, Texas · South Texas Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36, built 1977 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N17826 · registry record · serial E-1036
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was inbound to the airport when he heard that another airplane was also approaching the airport. The pilot of the other airplane intended to enter the downwind for the same runway, so the pilot opted to do a straight in final approach. When the pilot initially intended to lower the landing gear, he realized the airplane was too fast, so he did not lower the landing gear at that time. Then, he heard the pilot of the other airplane make a radio call and he became distracted looking for the other airplane. As he approached the runway, he heard a horn, but he assumed it was the stall warning horn. He stated that he was not worried about the warning horn because the airplane was already positioned to land on the runway. The airplane then landed with the landing gear retracted. The lower fuselage structure was substantially damaged during the wheels-up landing. After the landing, the pilot realized the horn he heard was the landing gear warning horn and not the stall warning horn. He also said that he erroneously thought he lowered the gear down lever before landing, but it was the flap lever that he manipulated instead. The pilot acknowledged that he should have reviewed the Before Landing checklist before he entered the traffic pattern. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 524 hours in all; 181 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 477 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 23, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,648 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 19, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550B-AP (piston); 1,347 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GTU Georgetown TX at 8:40 pm
- Destination: HDO Hondo TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17L, 6,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from KHDO
Weather report (METAR): KHDO 222151Z AUTO 20006KT 10SM FEW065 32/15 A3002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN26LA028.