Beech F33A accident near Oxford, Connecticut, August 7, 2021
On August 7, 2021 at about 2:50 pm local time, a 1973 Beech F33A, registered N4114S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Oxford, Connecticut (Waterbury airport). It was a personal 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 inadvertent operation of the landing handle during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose gear retraction and subsequent collision with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2021 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Oxford, Connecticut · Waterbury · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F33A, built 1973 · all F33As on the register
- Registration
- N4114S · registry record · serial CE-434
- 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, during the landing roll, as he was retracting the flaps, he inadvertently retracted the landing gear. He said that the nose of the airplane settled on to the runway and skidded to a stop, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. A functional test of the “landing gear safety switch” did not reveal any anomalies. The nose landing gear assembly was damaged, which prevented a “gear retraction” check.
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 collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action sequence › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 725 hours in all; 285 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 609 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 5, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,509 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 2021; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550B (piston); 54 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HPN White Plains NY at 2:15 pm
- Destination: OXC Oxford CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,800 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 am from KOXC
Weather report (METAR): METAR KOXC 071451Z 23005KT 10SM OVC100 25/21 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP204 T02500211 54000
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on May 4, 2022. 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 of Record Gear Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record Safety Switch Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 2 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.