Beech B 55 accident near Clearwater, Florida, June 19, 2015
On June 19, 2015 at about 3:08 pm local time, a 1976 Beech B 55, registered N216RW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Clearwater, Florida (St Pete-Clearwater Intl 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delayed completion of the before landing checklist, including the extension of the landing gear, during an approaching thunderstorm, which resulted in a landing with the landing gear in transit and the subsequent collapse of the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2015 · about 3:08 pm local time
- Place
- Clearwater, Florida · St Pete-Clearwater Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B 55, built 1976 · all B 55s on the register
- Registration
- N216RW · no longer on the register · serial TC-1956
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after receiving clearance to land, he completed the before landing checklist. He added that, during the touchdown, the landing gear collapsed. According to photographs provided by the airport authority, the airplane came to rest on its belly with the right main and nose landing gears collapsed and the left main landing gear partially extended. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed that the outer sidewall of each main landing gear tire exhibited scuff marks and that the main landing gear door was scraped. Further examination revealed that both of the main landing gear extension rods were bent at the assembly actuator and that the nose landing gear extension/retraction rod was fractured. This evidence is consistent with a landing attempt with the landing gear in transit rather than fully extended as reported by the pilot. No preimpact mechanical abnormalities were noted with the landing gear system that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded weather at the time of the accident indicated that thunderstorms existed near the airport, and photographs taken shortly after the accident show thunderstorms at the airport. Therefore, it is possible that the pilot was distracted by the approaching thunderstorm, which led to his completing the before landing checklist too late during the approach for the landing gear to fully extend before landing.
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
- Windshear or thunderstorm during approach
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Convective weather › Thunderstorm › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,299.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 30, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ECP Panama City FL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: PIE Clearwater FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36R, 9,730 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:08 pm from KPIE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on November 4, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector Statement [excerpts] | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records [excerpts] | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum of Record - St. Petersburg Florida Weather | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.