Beech A36 accident near Valdosta, Georgia, November 26, 2023
On November 26, 2023 at about 1:35 pm local time, a 1982 Beech A36, registered N94EM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Valdosta, Georgia (Valdosta Rgnl airport). It was a positioning 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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 26, 2023 · about 1:35 pm local time
- Place
- Valdosta, Georgia · Valdosta Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36, built 1982 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N94EM · registry record · serial E-2011
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during the landing flare he realized that he forgot to extend the landing gear and determined it was too late to go around. The underside of the airplane’s fuselage settled onto the runway and skidded down the asphalt, resulting in substantial damage to the structure of the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions that would have prevented normal operation of the airplane. The airplane was equipped with a landing gear position warning horn that was designed to sound when the throttle lever was pulled back for landing. The pilot reported that he did not specifically remember hearing the warning horn during the landing flare; however, he stated he might have mistaken the landing gear warning horn for the stall warning horn as he was expecting to hear the stall warning during the landing flare. The pilot reported that when he went back to the airplane after the accident and powered up the airplane’s electrical system, the landing gear warning horn operated normally.
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 defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,147 hours in all; 692 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 5,049 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 29, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,834.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 2023; 167.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Aerospace Technolo IO-550-B6A (piston); 802 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Chamblee GA at 12:30 pm
- Destination: VLD Valdosta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17/3, 8,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from KVLD
Weather report (METAR): KVLD 261253Z 14005KT 7SM -RA SCT060 BKN075 OVC095 13/11 A3009 RMK AO2 RAB1154 SLP199 P0003 T01280111
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 ERA24LA049.