Hawker Siddeley DH-125 accident near Seattle, Washington, December 17, 2002
On December 17, 2002 at about 3:07 am local time, a Hawker Siddeley DH-125, registered N55RF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Seattle, Washington (Boeing Fld/King Co Intl airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The landing gear down and locked was not verified prior to landing. The checklist was not followed, and an inoperative landing gear warning horn were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 2002 · about 3:07 am local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Boeing Fld/King Co Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Hawker Siddeley DH-125
- Registration
- N55RF · no longer on the register · serial 25020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Co-Pilot was the flying pilot with the Captain giving directions throughout the approach phase. The Captain stated that he extended the flaps and the landing gear. When the aircraft touched down, the landing gear was not extended. The Co-Pilot reported that she did look down at the landing gear lever and at "three green lights" on the approach. The CVR was read out which indicated that the Co-Pilot directed the Captain to call inbound. The Captain acknowledged this and stated "fifteen flaps." The Co-Pilot then stated "fifteen flaps, before landing." The Captain did not respond to the Co-Pilot but instead made a radio transmission. The Captain shortly thereafter, stated that he was extending the flaps to 25 degrees. The Captain made another radio transmission to the tower when the Co-Pilot stated "final, sync, ignitions." The Captain responded "ignitions on." Full flaps were then extended. The Captain gave the Co-Pilot continued directions while on the approach for heading, speed and altitude. At approximately 300 feet, the Captain stated, "yaw damper's off, air valves are off, ready to land." The Captain reported that it was obvious that touchdown was on the flaps and keel. The Captain stated that he raised the flaps, shutdown the engines, and confirmed that the landing gear handle was down. During the gear swing test the landing gear cycled several times with no difficulties. All red and green lights illuminated at the proper positions. During the test, it was found that the gear not extended horn did not function with the gear retracted, the flaps fully extended and the power levers at idle. Later a bad set of contacts to the relay was found. When the relay was jumped, the horn sounded. Inspection of the damage to the aircraft revealed that the outer rims of both outer tires displayed scrape marks around the circumference of the rim. The outer surface of the gear door fairings were scraped and the flap hinge fairings was ground down.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,497 hours in all; 1,713 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 10,622 as pilot in command; 2,573 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 14, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,162 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 12, 2002; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 21,700 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allied Signal TFE-731-3R-1H (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MHR Sacramento CA at 1:30 am
- Destination: BFI Seattle WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13R, 10,001 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.44 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from BFI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.