Accident Beechcraft 58 Baron N3240R, Friday 2 July 1999

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Date:	Friday 2 July 1999
Time:	11:03 LT
Type:	Beechcraft 58 Baron
Owner/operator:	J & S Aviation Inc
Registration:	N3240R
MSN:	TH1740
Total airframe hrs:	354 hours
Engine model:	Continental IO550C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Wheeling, IL - United States of America
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Three Lakes, WI (40D)
Destination airport:	(KPWK)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The Beech 58 landed wheels-up on runway 16 at Palwaukee Municipal Airport, Wheeling, Illinois. In a written statement, the pilot reported, '...Palwaukee gave me a straight in approach for runway 16 and to notify the tower 2 miles out. I flew to the left to line up with 16 and began a slow decent to traffic pattern altitude. About 3-1/2 miles out the tower cleared me to land. I began my pre landing checklist however I became distracted by what I thought was the collision avoidance equipment but in reality was my gear warning horn. There were a couple of aircraft showing up about a mile and a half away and I was looking for them and never completed the checklist and my normal prelanding GUMPS check. The aircraft landed gear up in the center of the runway and slid for a short distance. It stopped half off the left side of runway 16 however no lights were hit.'

Probable Cause: the landing gear extension not performed by the pilot. A contributing factor was the checklist not followed by the pilot.

Accident investigation: