Beech 95-55 accident near Spanoway, Washington, September 4, 2012
On September 4, 2012 at about 2:30 am local time, a Beech 95-55, registered N4QC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Spanoway, Washington (Spanaway 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 lower the landing gear prior to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2012 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Spanoway, Washington · Spanaway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-55 · all 95-55s on the register
- Registration
- N4QC · no longer on the register · serial TC-174
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a go-around and raised the landing gear and flaps. On the second approach, he lowered the flaps partially but did not lower the landing gear. He stated that he didn’t think that the gear warning activated. After landing with the landing gear up, the pilot and his passenger were able to exit the airplane before it caught fire causing substantial damage to the cabin.
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 Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 939 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 782 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 14, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,901 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 9, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 4,880 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor I0-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FHR Friday Harbor WA at 1:30 am
- Destination: S44 Spanoway WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,700 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:58 am from KTCM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.