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19970909029639I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech G35 · Clarksdale, MS · September 9, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 9, 1997 · 15:30 local
Place
Clarksdale, MS
Airport
Fletcher Field Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N330CH
Reported as
Beech G35
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
400 total40 in this make and model15 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: harry mc gee and I interviewed Mr. James pryor hays on the morning of September 9, 1997, at Clarksdale airport. Mr. Hays stated that he entered a left downwind pattern for a final to runway 18, performed a gumps checklist and showed a green light indicating gear down and locked. Landing was uneventful until lift was reduced and the full weight was placed on the gear. The nose wheel collapsed first and then the main gear collapsed. The mechanic on duty jacked the aircraft up and attempted to tow it and the main gear collapsed. He jacked it up again and extended the gear once more and towed the aircraft to the hanger without further complication. Upon talking with the mechanic it was discovered that the actuator extender linkage rod end had sheared and jammed the gear extender lever preventing the nose gear from locking down and the main gear from becoming locked in place. It appears that the lever cycled enough to activate the micro switch and give a gear down indication in the cockpit.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: HARRY MC GEE AND I INTERVIEWED MR. JAMES PRYOR HAYS ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 9, 1997, AT CLARKSDALE AIRPORT. MR. HAYS STATED THAT HE ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND PATTERN FOR A FINAL TO RUNWAY 18, PERFORMED A GUMPS CHECKLIST AND SHOWED A GREEN LIGHT INDICATING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL LIFT WAS REDUCED AND THE FULL WEIGHT WAS PLACED ON THE GEAR. THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED FIRST AND THEN THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE MECHANIC ON DUTY JACKED THE AIRCRAFT UP AND ATTEMPTED TO TOW IT AND THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. HE JACKED IT UP AGAIN AND EXTENDED THE GEAR ONCE MORE AND TOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE HANGER WITHOUT FURTHER COMPLICATION. UPON TALKING WITH THE MECHANIC IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ACTUATOR EXTENDER LINKAGE ROD END HAD SHEARED AND JAMMED THE GEAR EXTENDER LEVER PREVENTING THE NOSE GEAR FROM LOCKING DOWN AND THE MAIN GEAR FROM BECOMING LOCKED IN PLACE. IT APPEARS THAT THE LEVER CYCLED ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE MICRO SWITCH AND GIVE A GEAR DOWN INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT.