Beech G35 accident near Anacortes, Washington, February 26, 2002
On February 26, 2002 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech G35, registered N168B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anacortes, Washington (Beckers Landing 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 inadvertent failure to lower the landing gear prior to touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 2002 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Anacortes, Washington · Beckers Landing Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech G35 · all G35s on the register
- Registration
- N168B · no longer on the register · serial D-4453
- 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 was practicing short field landings. On the fourth landing, the pilot stated that he neglected to lower the landing gear, and to check the status of the landing gear. He stated that when the propeller contacted the ground he attemped to lower the landing gear, but it did not have time to extend. The pilot reported no prior mechanical malfunction or failure of the aircraft.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: gyroplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,371 hours in all; 2,163 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 4,111 as pilot in command; 261 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 24, 2001; 252.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WN18 Anacortes WA at 9:30 pm
- Destination: WN18
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 1,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.56 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from KNUW, 12 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N168B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 SEA02LA043.