Beech 55 N686DR accident near Griffin, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to ensure that the airplane was properly configured for takeoff, which resulted in the inadvertent retraction of the landing gear during the takeoff roll and the airplane’s subsequent runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he was giving rides in his airplane and the accident flight was the fifth flight of the morning. After the passengers boarded, the pilot taxied to the runway and completed the before takeoff checklist, then applied full power for takeoff. He reported that everything appeared normal during the takeoff roll, but, as the airplane approached 70 knots, about one third of the way down the runway, the landing gear suddenly retracted and the airplane skidded off the right side of the runway before coming to rest partially on the grass and runway pavement.

Postaccident examination of the airplane and landing gear system found that the gear handle operated normally, and the landing gear functioned as designed. No anomalies were discovered with the system that would preclude normal operation.

Following the accident, the pilot noticed that the landing gear handle was in the up, or retracted, position. It is likely that, at some point while on the ground, the landing gear handle was inadvertently moved to the retracted position, possibly by one of the numerous passengers during exit or entry. During the takeoff roll, once the airplane started to gain lift, the weight on the wheels was reduced to a point that allowed for the landing gear retraction system to activate, which resulted in the landing gear retracting at an airspeed at which the airplane was unable to become airborne. The airplane’s initial checklist included a line item to check that the landing gear lever was down. The pilot did not observe that the landing gear lever position was in the retracted position prior to takeoff.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA20LA035 for the full record.