Beech 95 B55 (T42A) accident near Cameron Park, California, February 1, 2017
On February 1, 2017 at about 10:10 pm local time, a 1965 Beech 95 B55 (T42A), registered N321BJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Cameron Park, California (Cameron Airpark 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the landing gear to extend as a result of excessive wear within the landing gear gearbox and motor, which resulted in a gear-up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2017 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Cameron Park, California · Cameron Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95 B55 (T42A) A, built 1965 · all 95 B55 (T42A)s on the register
- Registration
- N321BJ · no longer on the register · serial TC-925
- 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 heard a loud crunch when he raised the landing gear shortly after takeoff. The pilot climbed the airplane to about 3,000 ft and attempted to lower the landing gear using both the normal and emergency gear extension procedures but was unable to do so and subsequently landed with the gear retracted, resulting in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. Examination revealed that the landing would not extend normally. The landing gear motor was found shorted out internally and the gearbox sector gear contacted the internal stop when retracted; therefore, the emergency gear handle was not in contact with the pinion and rotated freely. The crank assembly exhibited signs of excessive wear and excessive pinion shaft end play. The American Bonanza Society Air Safety Foundation’s Landing Gear Inspection Checklist and Repair Guide stated that, “if the sector gear [end] hits the stop in either the extended or retracted position, the gearbox and motor should be removed and overhauled. The most common cause of this condition is a gear motor that is due for overhaul.” The excessive wear within the gearbox caused the sector gear to lose contact with the pinion which caused the gear motor and emergency gear handle to rotate freely with no corresponding motion from the landing gear itself.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 31,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 21,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 14, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,101 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O61 Cameron Park CA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: O61 Cameron Park CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,051 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from PVF, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on January 5, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Memorandum - Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement Regarding Postaccident Landing Gear Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpt from the American Bonanza Society Air Safety Foundationa��s Landing Gear Inspection Checklist and Repair Guide | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photos of Aircraft Damage | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.