Beech V35 N5624S accident near Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering at low altitude in gusting wind conditions.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot was conducting a cross-country, personal flight. He reported that, during approach to the destination airport, he had to manually extend the landing gear because he noticed the "down" light was not green. A witness who was in the airport terminal reported that he heard the pilot announce on the CTAF that his airplane was having "amperage" issues and that he might have to land with no radios. The pilot then asked him to confirm that the landing gear were extended. The witness went out to the taxiway and checked the landing gear status as the pilot conducted a low pass over the runway. The landing gear was not extended fully. The pilot stated that he attempted to go around but that the airplane was "sucked down" into trees by "a very strong wind" as the airplane proceeded beyond the departure end of the runway.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the alternator switch was in the "off" position, which would have prevented the battery from charging and likely led to there being insufficient battery power to extend the landing gear.

The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, there was a right quartering headwind at 14 knots, gusting to 19 knots.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA19LA028 for the full record.