Beech 58 N4199S accident near Gary, Indiana

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to ensure that the landing gear was down while on short final, his subsequent failure to conduct a go-around, and his loss of situational awareness of the airplane’s altitude above the runway while landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he lowered the landing gear about 5 miles from the airport while flying an instrument approach. While on short final and as he was turning off the airplane's positioning lights so that the landing gear indicator lights would brighten, the propellers struck the runway, indicating that he likely loss situational awareness of the airplane's altitude above the runway. The airplane then skidded on its belly on the runway. The examination of the airplane revealed that the wing spar sustained substantial damage. The nose landing gear (NLG) doors sustained scraping damage consistent with the NLG being retracted upon touchdown.

During postaccident examinations, the main landing gear and NLG lowered and raised normally, and the landing gear indicator lights operated normally. The landing checklist should be accomplished after the landing gear is lowered and the airplane is in the landing configuration. While on short final, if there are doubts about the landing gear configuration, a go-around should be accomplished. Given that the pilot had not ensured that the landing gear was down, he should have conducted a go-around.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN15LA415 for the full record.