Beriev Aircraft Company BE-103 accident near Miami, Florida, October 30, 2009
On October 30, 2009 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Beriev Aircraft Company BE-103, registered N13KL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Miami, Florida (Miami Seaplane Base 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
A malfunction of the landing gear retraction/extension and indication system for undetermined reasons, which resulted in one or more components being improperly positioned for the water landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 2009 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Miami Seaplane Base · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beriev Aircraft Company BE-103
- Registration
- N13KL · registry record · serial 3301
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner/pilot was demonstrating the airplane to the two passengers, who were potential buyers. After takeoff, when the pilot retracted the landing gear, two of the three gear position indication lights signaled that the gear was retracted, but the right gear position indicated that the landing gear was still in transit. The pilot re-cycled the landing gear, and all three lights indicated that the landing gear was retracted. After an otherwise normal flight, the pilot decided to demonstrate a water landing. During touchdown, the right side of the airplane "dragged," and the left wing struck the water abnormally. The airplane remained afloat. Witnesses reported that they observed the airplane land with one landing gear extended. Postaccident examination revealed that one of the springs on the landing gear up-latch assembly was stretched, for undetermined reasons. No additional details were provided for the investigation.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing defining event
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Indicating/recording systems › (general) › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Configuration › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 26,000 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 19, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 440 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 2009; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OPF Opa Locka FL at 2:10 pm
- Destination: OPF Opa Locka FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from OPF, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.