Beech F33A N334J accident near Ocala, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distracted attention due to the electrical system failure.

NTSB analysis

While in cruise flight at 8,000 feet, the airplane lost electrical power. The pilot said he had the airport in sight, so he did not declare an emergency. He stated that he selected the landing gear handle to the down-and-locked position, but he could not recall if the gear position light was illuminated, nor could he remember hearing the landing gear motor. He said he did not use the manual gear extension procedure. On final approach he reduced the engine power, but the engine stayed at full power. He said he was unable to lower the flaps and the airplane touched down fast and bounced. Postaccident examination revealed that the battery was dead. The pilot stated that he was very nervous and distracted by all of the system failures.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA11CA255 for the full record.