Beech 58 accident near Panama City, Florida, August 6, 1996
On August 6, 1996 at about 2:21 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N4478W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Panama City, Florida (Panama City-Bay County In 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
failure of the pilot to extend the landing gear before touchdown, which resulted in an inadvertent wheels-up landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot allowed his attention to be diverted, and the resultant interference with his landing routine (habit pattern).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 1996 · about 2:21 pm local time
- Place
- Panama City, Florida · Panama City-Bay County In · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N4478W · registry record · serial TH446
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during an approach to land, he became preoccupied with hold short instructions and traffic advisories. He indicated that this preoccupation led him to deviate from his landing routine, which resulted in a failure to lower the landing gear. Subsequently, the airplane landed gear-up, and was damaged.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,874 hours in all; 1,250 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,768 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,453 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1996; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C7B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JFX Jasper AL at 1:00 pm
- Destination: PFN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 6,314 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:23 pm from PFN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.