Beech 58 N2023V accident near Sugar Loaf Mountain, Michigan

Probable cause

The pilot did not complete the before-landing checklist and, subsequently, failed to extend the landing gear prior to landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction with his passengers’ conversation.

NTSB analysis

The pilot, on a personal cross-country flight, had flown into the destination airport many times before and was familiar with the procedures associated with landing there. While completing the before-landing checklist, the pilot became distracted by conversation from the passengers. The pilot said that he did not hear the gear warning horn and, before he realized that the gear was still up, the airplane impacted the runway, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage during the wheels-up landing. Earlier in the flight, the pilot briefed his passengers about having a sterile cockpit environment during the landing phase of flight, but the conversation did not cease. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies associated with the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12CA436 for the full record.