System failures lead to hard landing

Aircraft: Beech Bonanza. Injuries: None. Location: Ocala, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: While in cruise flight at 8,000 feet, the airplane lost electrical power.

The pilot had the airport in sight, so he did not declare an emergency

He selected the landing gear handle to the down-and-locked position, but he could not recall if the gear position light was illuminated, nor could he remember hearing the landing gear motor. He did not use the manual gear extension procedure.

On final approach he pulled back the throttle to reduce engine power, but the engine stayed at full power. He was unable to lower the flaps and the airplane touched down fast and bounced.

The post-accident examination revealed that the battery was dead. The pilot stated that he was very nervous and distracted by all of the system failures.

Probable cause: The pilot’s improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distracted attention due to the electrical system failure.

NTSB Identification: ERA11CA255

This April 2011 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.