Beech 35 accident near Bowie, Maryland, May 27, 2019
On May 27, 2019 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1965 Beech 35, registered N9018S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Bowie, Maryland (Freeway 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 failure to extend the landing gear before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2019 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bowie, Maryland · Freeway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 S35, built 1965 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N9018S · registry record · serial D-7948
- 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 landed the airplane with the landing gear retracted, which he said was his error. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,197 hours in all; 1,942 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 12, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,085 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 18, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 700 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 33N Dover/Cheswold DE
- Destination: W00 Bowie MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,420 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Observation at 7:03 pm from KCGS, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 24, 2019. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | 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.