19960616021509I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech 58 · Westhampton Bea, NY · June 16, 1996

Date: June 16, 1996 · 21:00 local
Place: Westhampton Bea, NY
Airport: The Francis S Gabreski Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N3174B
Reported as: Beech 58
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,500 total3,000 in this make and model45 in the last 90 days

N3174BRegistered now · Beech 58S/N TH-1724 · Built 1994 Airframe modelBeech 58 Engine modelContinental IO-550 seriesReciprocating

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.

Narrative: during takeoff roll at rotation speed, landing gear system retracted with gear handle in the "down" position. Airplane nose dipped at this point and propeller blade tips were damaged. The pilot closed the throttles and the aircraft skidded on the bottom of its fuselage to a stop on the runway. Fuselage lower skin and frames were damaged. Six propeller blades damaged. Complete damage at this time not completed. Beech factory representative to make assessment of damage. Inspection of landing gear assembly switch, indicated that micro switch was electrically held in the "up" position due to lever cam on shaft finger loose, even though allen set screw was tight. Electric micro-switch removed from cam assembly and switch checked electrically normal. A safety suggestion will be submitted to insure a positive lock on cam to shaft security. This incident is closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: DURING TAKEOFF ROLL AT ROTATION SPEED, LANDING GEAR SYSTEM RETRACTED WITH GEAR HANDLE IN THE "DOWN" POSITION. AIRPLANE NOSE DIPPED AT THIS POINT AND PROPELLER BLADE TIPS WERE DAMAGED. THE PILOT CLOSED THE THROTTLES AND THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED ON THE BOTTOM OF ITS FUSELAGE TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. FUSELAGE LOWER SKIN AND FRAMES WERE DAMAGED. SIX PROPELLER BLADES DAMAGED. COMPLETE DAMAGE AT THIS TIME NOT COMPLETED. BEECH FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE TO MAKE ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE. INSPECTION OF LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY SWITCH, INDICATED THAT MICRO SWITCH WAS ELECTRICALLY HELD IN THE "UP" POSITION DUE TO LEVER CAM ON SHAFT FINGER LOOSE, EVEN THOUGH ALLEN SET SCREW WAS TIGHT. ELECTRIC MICRO-SWITCH REMOVED FROM CAM ASSEMBLY AND SWITCH CHECKED ELECTRICALLY NORMAL. A SAFETY SUGGESTION WILL BE SUBMITTED TO INSURE A POSITIVE LOCK ON CAM TO SHAFT SECURITY. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED.