N88FC

On August 19, 1994, at 2102 hours mountain standard time, a Beech 95-B55, N88FC, landed with its landing gear retracted on runway 15 at Page Airport, Page, Arizona. The pilot was completing a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by Diane Hamilton-Margrave, So. Pasadena, California, was destroyed by the postcrash fire and impact damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his passenger was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at El Monte Airport, El Monte, California, on August 19, 1994, at 1840 hours.

The airport manager told National Transportation Safety Board investigators that the pilot had attempted two approaches before the accident. The manager said the pilot told him that he felt uncomfortable during the first two approaches. The pilot said on the third approach he became distracted and did not pay attention, and added ". . . the aircraft was trying to tell me something . . . ."

A pilot witness told Safety Board investigators in a telephone interview conducted on August 29, 1994, that he was making a straight-in approach to runway 33 at Page Airport. During the approach, he heard N88FC announce that he was making a straight-in approach to runway 15. He told the pilot to continue his approach to runway 15 and that he would follow him into the airport. While on final approach, the pilot witness observed N88FC making a go-around. The pilot witness landed without incident.

While taxiing toward his hangar, he again saw N88FC making another go-around. When the pilot witness was securing his airplane, he saw N88FC making a short, low approach with both of the landing lights on. He could not see if the landing gear was extended. Moments later, he heard the scraping noise and immediately knew that the airplane landed with its landing gear retracted. The accident airplane pilot did not mention any landing gear problems during his conversation with him on the unicom frequency.

The pilot confirmed that he failed to extend the landing gear in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2. He also showed in the form that the airplane did not experience any preexisting malfunctions or failures.