Beech E-55 accident near Providence, Rhode Island, October 3, 2005
On October 3, 2005 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Beech E-55, registered N72BG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Providence, Rhode Island (Theodore Francis Green airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to verify landing gear extension after a landing gear malfunction, which resulted in a wheels up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2005 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Providence, Rhode Island · Theodore Francis Green · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E-55 · all E-55s on the register
- Registration
- N72BG · registry record · serial TE-1198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While en route to the pilot's home airport, the pilot noticed that a landing gear system circuit breaker had tripped, which he then reset. Upon arriving in the vicinity of the destination airport, the pilot selected the landing gear down position, while watching the circuit breaker to see if it would trip again, which it did. He then lowered the flaps and landed unknowing with the landing gear retracted, substantially damaging the airplane. The pilot later stated, "I should have looked at the 3 green (landing gear position indicator) lights."
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: 11,282 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,270 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FRG Farmingdale NY at 2:00 pm
- Destination: PVD Providence RI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 7,166 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft; a few clouds at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.45 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from PVD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.