Beech D35 accident near Sunriver, Oregon, May 29, 2015
On May 29, 2015 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1953 Beech D35, registered N2984B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sunriver, Oregon (Sunriver 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction from completing his before landing checklist and inability to hear the gear warning horn annunciator in his headphones.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2015 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sunriver, Oregon · Sunriver · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D35, built 1953 · all D35s on the register
- Registration
- N2984B · no longer on the register · serial D-3624
- 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 he entered the airport traffic pattern after a local sightseeing flight and began the before landing checklist. Three other aircraft announced their presence in the vicinity of the airport and the pilot turned his attention to locating the other aircraft without finishing the checklist. The pilot reported that he did not hear the gear warning horn annunciate while he was wearing his noise cancelling headset and landed with the gear retracted. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage supporting structure. After the accident, the airplane was put on jack stands and the landing gear was extended manually. The landing gear was not operated through the use of the airplane's electrical system. The pilot reported flying the airplane the previous day and the landing gear operated normally. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 687 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 15, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,259 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,725 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Conitnental E-225 (piston); 3,103 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S21 Sunriver OR at 4:40 pm
- Destination: S21 Sunriver OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,461 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KBDN, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 GAA15CA124.