# Incident 19971017042489I: Beech 76, Dallas, TX, October 17, 1997 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 17, 1997, 19:30 local time - Place: Dallas, TX - Airport: Addison Airport - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: BEJS - Location: 32.9686° N, 96.8365° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ADDISON (ADS), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.9686&lon=-96.8365&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6010W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6010W-2006-06-01) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech 76 (registry code 1153005, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-76) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 76 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,050 total, 250 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971017042489I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. NARRATIVE: WE FIRST COMPLETED A DISPATCH RELEASE FORM AND A THOROUGH VISUAL PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. ALL CHECKED OUT O.K. WE DEPARTED ADDISON AT APPROXIMATELY 6:20 PM WITHOUT INCIDENT. INITIAL CALL TO MCKINNEY TOWER - DUCHESS 6010W IS 8 MILES SOUTHWEST, INBOUND FOR LANDINGS. WE ENTERED THE PATTERN ON A MIDFIELD RIGHT CROSSWIND FOR RWY 35 AS INSTRUCTED. WHILE TURNING A MIDFIELD RIGHT DOWNWIND, WE SELECTED GEAR DOWN. THE GEAR TOOK AN UNUSUALLY LONG TIME TO EXTEND, AND IT FINALLY LOCKED INTO PLACE WITH A LOUD NOISE. AS WE TURNED FINAL, WE SELECTED FULL FLAPS AND PROPS FULL FORWARD - AIRSPEED 85 KNOTS. AS A SURPRISE TO THE STUDENT, I CALLED FOR A GO-AROUND FROM THE LANDING FLARE. I THEN CALLED THE TOWER AND STATED 10W GOING AROUND. THE STUDENT ADDED FULL POWER, REVERSE VSI SELECTED FLAPS UP, POSITIVE VSI SELECTED GEAR UP. I THEN HEARD AN ADDITIONAL LOUD NOISE. THE NOSE AND LEFT MAIN GEAR LIGHT WENT OUT; THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR LIGHT AND IN-TRANSIT LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. I THEN TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND RECYCLED THE GEAR BACK DOWN. AS I DID THIS, THE NOSE AND LEFT MAIN GEAR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR LIGHT DID NOT. THE IN-TRANSIT LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED THE ENTIRE TIME THE GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. I RECYCLED THE GEAR AN ADDITIONAL TIME WITH THE SAME RESULTS. I THEN NOTIFIED MCKINNEY TOWER OF OUR SITUATION AND REQUE STED A LOW PASS. THE TOWER THEN STATED THAT OUR RIGHT MAIN GEAR APPEARED TO BE AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. WE THEN DEPARTED THE PATTERN TO THE EAST TO REVIEW THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES CHECKLIST IN THE POH. I RECYCLED THE GEAR ABOUT 5 MORE TIMES TO NO AVAIL. I THEN ATTEMPTED A MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION ALSO TO NO AVAIL. LASTLY, I TRIED TO SHAKE THE GEAR DOWN BY APPLYING G FORCES, SIDE-SLIPPING, AND OTHER AGGRESSIVE MANEUVERS-ALL UNSUCCESSFUL. I THEN MADE ONE MORE LOW PASS BY THE TOWER AND RECEIVED THE SAME RESPONSE. AT THIS TIME, I DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. I DECIDED TO RETURN TO ADDISON. MCKINNEY TOWER THEN CALLED ADDISON TO INFORM THEM OF THE SITUATION. WE HELD EAST OF ADDISON FOR INBOUND TRAFFIC AND WERE THEN CLEARED TO LAND RWY33. I BRIEFED MY STUDENT AND TOLD HIM EXACTLY WHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT. I THEN COMMENCED A SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY LANDING WITH NO INJURIES AND MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. RE: N6010W MR. TUCKER, ON OCTOBER 17, 1997 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30 PM BEECHCRAFT B-76 N6010W LANDED AT ADDISON AIRPORT WITH THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. UPON INVESTIGATION THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE NOTED. THE ENTIRE OLEO STRUT ASSEMBLY WAS MISSING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. A SEARCH OF THE AIRPORT IN AND AROUND THE AREA THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WAS CONDUCTED AND THE STRUT WAS NOT FOUND. THREE OF THE FOUR UPPER STRUT BOLTS P/N AN-13A AND AN5-16A WERE FOUND TO HAVE SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE THREADS WITH ONE PLATE NUT AND A PIECE OF UPPER STRUT CONNECTOR P/N 105-810021-3 STILL ATTACHED, THE BOLTS ALSO WERE BENT IN THE THREADED AREA INDICATING A SHEER OR SIDE LOAD HAD BEEN APPLIED TO THE STRUT. THE LOWER STRUT ATTACHES TO THE GEAR FORK P/N 105-810021-10 AND WAS BROKEN AT THE ATTACH POINT. THE WHEEL WAS BENT AS IN A HARD LANDING AND THE TIRE CUT WHERE IT HAD IMPACTED THE BRAKE DISC. THE "A" FRAME P/N 105-810023-68 WAS STILL ATTACHED BUT TWISTED AFT. THE UPPER GEAR HOUSING P/N169-810032-23 WAS BROKEN IN HALF AT THE UPPER LIGHTENING HOLE. FURTHER DAMAGE WAS ON THE LOWER WING SKIN WHERE A HOLE WAS IN THE SKIN JUST AFT OF THE WHEEL WELL AREA, THE OUTER FLAP HINGE WAS GROUND DOWN, ALONG WITH FLAP AND AI LERON SKINS. THERE WERE ALSO WRINKLES IN THE WING SKINS RADIATING FROM THE REAR SPAR AREA ON BOTH WINGS. I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS TYPE OF WRINKLING IN OTHER AIRCRAFT OF THE SAME TYPE THAT HAVE SUSTAINED A GEAR UP LANDING. IN MY OPINION THIS IS WHAT OCCURRED: IN THE 12,380 HOURS THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAS OPERATED (MOST OF THEM FLIGHT SCHOOL OPERATIONS) IT HAD MANY LANDINGS. THIS CAUSED THE UPPER AND LOWER STRUT ATTACH POINTS TO HAVE TAKEN A SEVERE AMOUNT OF ABUSE DUE TO ABSORBING THE STRESS OF SHOCK STRUT EXTENSION AND COMPRESSION ON EACH TAKEOFF AND LANDING. THIS WEAKENED THE UPPER ATTACH BOLTS THREADS TO THE POINT OF FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED A HARD LANDING PRIOR TO MR. BONTHRON'S FLIGHT EVIDENCED BY THE DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL AND TIRE AND THE WRINKLE IN THE LOWER WING SKINS AT REAR SPAR ATTACH AND FURTHER DAMAGING THE UPPER STRUT ATTACH POINTS. WHEN THE GEAR WAS PLACED IN THE DOWN POSITION AT MCKINNY, THE UPPER STRUT CONNECTOR FAILED AT THE ATTACH POINT ON THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR HENCE THE LOUD NOISE HEARD BY THE PILOTS. WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED DURING THE GO AROUND THE BROKEN STRUT WOULD HAVE JAMMED ON THE REAR WING LOWER SURFACE AND BROKEN THE LOWER STRUT ATTACH TO THE LOWER GEAR LEG. THE ACTUATOR CONTINUED APPLYING PRESSURE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RAISE THE RIGHT MAIN WHICH WOULD HAVE BENT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE "A" FRAME AFT ALLOWING IT TO CLOSE THE GEAR DOWN INDICATOR SWITCH WHICH INDICATED A GREEN LIGHT OR DOWN POSITION. WHENGEAR DOWN WAS AGAIN SELECTED THE ALREADY DAMAGED "A" FRAME WOULD ONLY ALLOW THE GEAR TO EXTEND PARTIALLY AND THE SHOCK STRUT ASSEMBLY TO DEPART THE AIRCRAFT. EACH FOLLOWING CYCLE ONLY FURTHER DAMAGE THE "A" FRAME AND SUPPORTING PIECES. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE GEAR COLLAPSED INTO THE WING SKIN AFT OF THE WHEEL WELL BREAKING THE UPPER GEAR HOUSING AND DAMAGING THE LOWER WING SKIN. SINCERELY, JOSEPH L. BROWN DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE ARI-BEN AVIATOR INC. ## Other reports on N6010W (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19960402011319I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960402011319I), Apr 2, 1996: Beech 76 (N6010W), Denton, TX, Minor damage. Narrative: while taxiing the pilot's right knee hit the gear switch, which partially hangs down below the instrument panel. The nose gear retracted. The "out"… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.