On November 3, 2019 (coincidentally, my son’s birthday), I was flying with my fellow co-owner and pilot in our Beechcraft B55 Baron. We both had hundreds of hours and landings in that plane.
It was a beautiful CAVU day. Jim was in the left seat; I was in the right seat. The plane was current and legal, and I was current and legal. Jim, however, was out of his medical due to some recent surgery, but due to get it back soon. So, of course, that made me PIC, which was fine.
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We were flying—and had done so several times already—to help keep Jim current in anticipation of him getting his medical back. We did what we thought was right for the good of general aviation, ourselves, and our fellow aviators. We practiced slow flight, stalls, approaches, etc. We then came in to land.
On final, all was normal—gear down, three in the green, flaps down, checklist complete. Jim was flying. All was well and we touched down with the pleasing chirp of rubber kissing the pavement. Multiple witnesses saw it, naturally, since it was a beautiful day.
We were rolling out, and I was looking down the runway. Jim then decided to retract the flaps for better braking and pulled up the gear switch instead before I could stop him.
I will never forget his next words, which were, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,’ (among a few other words), as we were sliding down the runway. It was an amazingly smooth ride. I remember keying the mic on CTAF and announcing that the runway was closed temporarily.
We came to a stop and “stepped out like gentlemen,” as Jim likes to say. No sooner were we out of the plane when someone handed Jim a card and said, “You will need to call this number.” It was a phone for someone at the local FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).
By the next day, we both had been instructed to contact this individual and report the event, which we did.
We subsequently also met with him in person, and it was a very cordial meeting. What ensued is the real take-home message.
As noted, before we could even get out of the plane, the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had been notified unnecessarily. This was an incident, not an accident. Knowing what is a reportable event is important, but what happens when something is reported that doesn’t have to be? By then, you are already in the maw of the FAA. I don’t know how one avoids that catch-22.
But I will say this: The gentleman from the FAA was great. He listened. We helped him do his job, and he helped us. We told him the truth. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s legal services plan also helped.
Within four days, the FAA notified us through our attorney that this event would be rightfully considered an incident, not an accident. From that point on, we just dealt with the insurance company, which was also reasonable.
Ultimately, the plane was totaled, but we opted to “buy” it from the insurance company and had it repaired. It was too good of a plane to let go, and we still fly it to this day.
I was required to do some “remedial” ground training with an instructor and also had a pleasant conversation with a gentleman from the Nashville, Tennessee, FSDO.
Dealing with the FAA, NTSB, my training, and the insurance firm was all a learning experience seeing how the system works. It was as pleasant as one could hope for in this situation. Our local broker also backed us on our insurance going forward, explaining who we were, what we were doing and why, and treated us fairly.
Dealing with the insurance company and deciding if we should total the plane or not was also an education. Telling the truth is just the way to go.
Our mechanic was having a fit until I told him what happened. He thought the event may have been a mechanical problem of his making. Jim and I have been co-owners and flying partners for more than 20 years. It has been fortuitous for us both. Finances have never been an issue, and they were not in this case.
We just chalked it up to experience, learned from it (always visually-check the switch you have your hand on before you move it), paid the bill, and continue to relish the opportunity to fly together. It was a big deal, but not really. The turbulence could have been far worse.
This column first appeared in the January Issue 954 of the FLYING print edition.
Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.