OpenAirDocs.org

19940312012479I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Amtrbd BEDEBD5J · El Centro, CA · March 12, 1994

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 12, 1994 · 12:25 local
Place
El Centro, CA
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N53EJ
Reported as
Amtrbd BEDEBD5J
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
8,400 total100 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
N53EJRegistration cancelled Jul 30, 2013 · Zivko William BD 5JS/N 53BD · Built 1988Airframe modelZivko William BD 5JEngine modelMicro TRS-18 seriesTurbo-jet

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On March 12, 1994, at approximately 1225 PST, david harris landed on runway 30, naval air facility, El Centro, California, in N53FJ, a zivko williams model BD55 amateur-built aircraft. Upon touchdown, the landing gear collapsed. The aircraft came to rest on its lower side, causing damage to the lower surface of the fuselage. Harris, the sole occupant, was not injured. No fire resulted. Pilot reported that the cable from the gear selector handle to the tricycle gear had come off of a large pulley located below and aft of the gear selector. The gear is operated manually. The cable wraps approximately 1 1/2 turns around the pulley. There are no pulley guides installed around this pulley which would prevent cable from coming off. Further investigation by owner/operator determined that a piece of plastic like material from the external power plug in (dust cover) was found inside fuselage area. This piece had become hooked on the pulley assembly and a retract extend linkage. When positioning the gear to a down position, this piece would stretch and exert pressure to retract the gear. This rapid force caused the cable to jump off the pulley assembly. Landing gear-down lock warn ing system indicates green as soon as any down travel is sensed. There are no switches for fully down indications.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 12, 1994, AT APPROXIMATELY 1225 PST, DAVID HARRIS LANDED ON RUNWAY 30, NAVAL AIR FACILITY, EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA, IN N53FJ, A ZIVKO WILLIAMS MODEL BD55 AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS LOWER SIDE, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE FUSELAGE. HARRIS, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. NO FIRE RESULTED. PILOT REPORTED THAT THE CABLE FROM THE GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE TO THE TRICYCLE GEAR HAD COME OFF OF A LARGE PULLEY LOCATED BELOW AND AFT OF THE GEAR SELECTOR. THE GEAR IS OPERATED MANUALLY. THE CABLE WRAPS APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 TURNS AROUND THE PULLEY. THERE ARE NO PULLEY GUIDES INSTALLED AROUND THIS PULLEY WHICH WOULD PREVENT CABLE FROM COMING OFF. FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY OWNER/OPERATOR DETERMINED THAT A PIECE OF PLASTIC LIKE MATERIAL FROM THE EXTERNAL POWER PLUG IN (DUST COVER) WAS FOUND INSIDE FUSELAGE AREA. THIS PIECE HAD BECOME HOOKED ON THE PULLEY ASSEMBLY AND A RETRACT EXTEND LINKAGE. WHEN POSITIONING THE GEAR TO A DOWN POSITION, THIS PIECE WOULD STRETCH AND EXERT PRESSURE TO RETRACT THE GEAR. THIS RAPID FORCE CAUSED THE CABLE TO JUMP OFF THE PULLEY ASSEMBLY. LANDING GEAR-DOWN LOCK WARN ING SYSTEM INDICATES GREEN AS SOON AS ANY DOWN TRAVEL IS SENSED. THERE ARE NO SWITCHES FOR FULLY DOWN INDICATIONS.