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19961221044649I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech 76 · Carlsbad, CA · December 21, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 21, 1996 · 12:46 local
Place
Carlsbad, CA
Airport
Mcclellan-Palomar
Phase of flight
Touch And Go Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6015Y
Reported as
Beech 76
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,350 total170 in this make and model180 in the last 90 days

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: on December 21, 1996, at 1246 PST, gerald ward, pilot in command of N6015Y, a Beech BE-76 airplane, experienced an uncommanded nose gear retraction during takeoff roll following a touch and go landing. PIC ward was flying from the right seat of the aircraft and had removed full flaps and was applying full power when the nose of the aircraft dropped. The aircraft sustained minor damage to nose section and gear doors and propellers contacted the ground. Neither ward nor his 2 passengers sustained any injuries. The aircraft sustained no other damage. Passenger, rich trahan, seated in the left seat made the statement that he had hit the gear handle with his knee and had forced it in the up position. The gear handle is located on the right side of the left instrument panel directly above Mr. Trahan's knee. Mr. Trahan is a very large individual and with his feet pulled back away from the rudder pedals his knees are extremely close to the gear handle. Inspection of the gear handle and operational check of the gear system revealed no defects. This incident is not related to NMAC or pilot deviation.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON DECEMBER 21, 1996, AT 1246 PST, GERALD WARD, PILOT IN COMMAND OF N6015Y, A BEECH BE-76 AIRPLANE, EXPERIENCED AN UNCOMMANDED NOSE GEAR RETRACTION DURING TAKEOFF ROLL FOLLOWING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING. PIC WARD WAS FLYING FROM THE RIGHT SEAT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND HAD REMOVED FULL FLAPS AND WAS APPLYING FULL POWER WHEN THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO NOSE SECTION AND GEAR DOORS AND PROPELLERS CONTACTED THE GROUND. NEITHER WARD NOR HIS 2 PASSENGERS SUSTAINED ANY INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED NO OTHER DAMAGE. PASSENGER, RICH TRAHAN, SEATED IN THE LEFT SEAT MADE THE STATEMENT THAT HE HAD HIT THE GEAR HANDLE WITH HIS KNEE AND HAD FORCED IT IN THE UP POSITION. THE GEAR HANDLE IS LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LEFT INSTRUMENT PANEL DIRECTLY ABOVE MR. TRAHAN'S KNEE. MR. TRAHAN IS A VERY LARGE INDIVIDUAL AND WITH HIS FEET PULLED BACK AWAY FROM THE RUDDER PEDALS HIS KNEES ARE EXTREMELY CLOSE TO THE GEAR HANDLE. INSPECTION OF THE GEAR HANDLE AND OPERATIONAL CHECK OF THE GEAR SYSTEM REVEALED NO DEFECTS. THIS INCIDENT IS NOT RELATED TO NMAC OR PILOT DEVIATION.