Probable cause
The passenger’s inadvertent retraction of the landing gear during the landing roll without being instructed to do so by the pilot.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that, shortly after landing, the passenger, without his permission or guidance, retracted the landing gear. The airplane impacted the runway, slid about 600 ft, and then came to rest. The pilot-rated passenger reported that, without the pilot's guidance, he mistakenly raised the gear handle then quickly lowered it again, thinking it was the flap handle, and that he was attempting to assist the pilot. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the center wing spar.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA19CA291 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Sep 13, 2019
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Sebring, Florida
- Nearest airport
- Sebring Rgnl (SEF)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Dusk
Beech 55
- N-number
- N854T
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1974
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.