Montgomery County Airpark Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879
Saturday, June 2, 1990 10:18 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WITNESSES NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 14 WITH THE GEAR UP. SOME OF THE WITNESSES RADIOED THE PILOT TO ALERT HIM OF THE GEAR POSITION, BUT HE DID NOT RESPOND. THE AIRPLANE LANDED GEAR UP, BUT SOON AFTERWARDS, IT BECAME AIRBORNE, CLIMBED ABOUT 30 FEET, AND DESCENDED IN A LEFT BANK. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND EAST OF THE RUNWAY AND CARTWHEELED; IT CAME TO A STOP ON AN ADJACENT TAXIWAY. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WERE ABOUT 60 PROPELLER SLASH MARKS ON THE RUNWAY. AN AIRCRAFT EXAMINATION DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR REVEALED IT WAS IN A TRANSIT POSITION, WHICH WAS ABOUT THREE TURNS OF THE MANUAL GEAR HANDLE FROM THE FULL UP (RETRACTED) POSITION OF THE GEAR.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR, WHICH RESULTED IN A WHEELS UP LANDING; HIS IMPROPER DECISION TO ATTEMPT A GO AROUND (ABORTED LANDING) AFTER THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE RUNWAY; AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN OR MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB AFTER LIFTOFF.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/2/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1018
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City GAITHERSBURG
Event State MARYLAND
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 20879
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPARK
Event Location Nearest Airport ID GAI
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 539
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 953 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID BWI
Elevation of weather observation facility 146
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 999
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 11000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 6
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2357
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 2 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1057
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 52701
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:02PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2003A
NTSB Number BFO90FA053
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model 36
Aircraft Series Identifier 36
Aircraft Serial Number E-166
Certified Max Gross Weight 3600
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 27 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TRI-H CORPORATION
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2500 AIRPORT ROAD
Aircraft Owner City LAWRENCE
Aircraft Owner State KS
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 66044
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name TRI-H CORPORATION
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2500 AIRPORT ROAD
Operator City LAWRENCE
Operator State KS
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 66044
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code RIC
Departure City RICHMOND
Departure State VA
Departure Country
Departure Time 933
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code GAI
Destination City GAITHERSBURG
Destination State MD
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 14
Runway Length 4196
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --