Beech D17S accident near Phoenix, Arizona, October 18, 2011
On October 18, 2011 at about 3:11 pm local time, a Beech D17S, registered N44562, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Sky Harbor 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2011 · about 3:11 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Sky Harbor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D17S · all D17Ss on the register
- Registration
- N44562 · registry record · serial 6923
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he unintentionally landed the airplane with the gear retracted. He additionally reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the wing.
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 › (general) › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 19,100 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 17,200 as pilot in command; 1,100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 2011; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ at 2:00 pm
- Destination: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 07R, 7,800 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from PHX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N44562 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 WPR12CA016.