Beech G35 accident near Tucson, Arizona, February 26, 2021
On February 26, 2021 at about 7:05 pm local time, a 1956 Beech G35, registered N4499D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson Intl 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
The pilot’s distraction in the cockpit which interrupted his pre-landing checklist which resulted in his failure to configure 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, 2021 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech G35, built 1956 · all G35s on the register
- Registration
- N4499D · registry record · serial D-4724
- 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 while in the local traffic pattern, he was distracted by radio transmissions from the tower air traffic controller regarding maintaining his airspeed and multiple landing runway reassignments. His pre-landing check was interrupted, and he did not lower the landing gear, and landed gear up on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the undercarriage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot reported that he was wearing noise-cancelling headsets and did not hear the warning horn. During the airplane recovery, the pilot reported that the throttle was in the retarded position and the warning horn was blaring. The landing gear handle was placed in the “down” position and extended normally.
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
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Configuration › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 11, 2020
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,946.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2020; 19.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,775 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor E225-8 (piston); 225 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CMA Camarillo CA at 5:10 pm
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11L/, 10,996 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from KTUS, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KTUS 261853Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 16/M15 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP153 T01561150=
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.
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 WPR21LA134.