Beech 95-B55 (T42A) accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, August 20, 2025
On August 20, 2025 at about 1:24 pm local time, a 1968 Beech 95-B55 (T42A), registered N8313N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near St. Petersburg, Florida (Albert Whitted 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 prior to landing. Contributing to the accident was a malfunction of the landing gear’s electrical retraction/extension system, which tripped the circuit breaker.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2025 · about 1:24 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · Albert Whitted · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55 (T42A), built 1968 · all 95-B55 (T42A)s on the register
- Registration
- N8313N · registry record · serial TC-1070
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the multi-engine airplane departed from the airplane’s home airport on a cross-country flight. The pilot stated that the takeoff and initial climb were normal; however, shortly after departure, he noted that the alternators went offline and the battery began to discharge. The pilot attempted to restore the alternators by resetting the switches and field circuit breakers. Unable to regain alternator functionality, the pilot elected to abort the flight and return to the departure airport. The pilot reported that he attempted to extend the landing gear and heard the gear motor operate. During the return to the airport, the pilot reported additional electrical issues, such as the airplane’s primary flight display turning off and rebooting. While on final approach to the airport, the pilot reported that the landing gear down and locked light was not illuminated; however, the mechanical tab on the floorboard indicated the landing gear was down. Upon touchdown, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded down the runway to a stop resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. Surveillance images of the airplane as it was on final approach revealed that the nose landing gear was not extended and the main landing gear appeared to be at least partially extended. Had the pilot coordinated with the control tower to observe the landing gear position, it is possible that they would have been able to alert the pilot that all of the landing gear were not fully extended. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the landing gear motor circuit breaker had tripped and that the landing gear was capable of being extended and locked in place using the emergency extension system. The examination also revealed that both alternator belts were in place on the alternators, and the battery had sufficient voltage to operate the airplane’s electrical system. Since the landing gear was able to be extended using the emergency extension system, it is likely that the landing gear circuit breaker had tripped due to an electrical wiring issue or an issue with the landing gear motor.
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 gear not configured during landing defining event
- Electrical system malf/failure during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,576 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: St Pete Aviation Services LLC
The flight
- Destination: PGD Punta Gorda FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 07, 3,676 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 81°F (27°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 am from KSPG
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSPG 201455Z 03005KT 10SM FEW025 31/27 A2988=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 18, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Airplane Recovery and Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ERA25LA343.