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19980509015569A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Gulstm 500A · Billings, MT · May 9, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 9, 1998 · 11:05 local
Place
Billings, MT
Airport
Billings Logan International
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
HYSA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9382R
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA98LA073
Reported as
Gulstm 500A
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540E1A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,420 total215 in this make and model180 in the last 90 days
N9382RRegistration cancelled Jul 21, 2003 · Aero Commander 500-BS/N 500A-899-8 · Built 1960Airframe modelAero Commander 500-BEngine modelLycoming IGSO-540-B1AReciprocating

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.

(-23) Left main landing gear would not extend or retract. Upon landing, left gear collapsed with resulting damage to underside of aircraft. The cause of landing gear failure was found to be corroded upper and lower landing gear strut inner to outer strut body needle bearings. (.4)the pilot reported that, after takeoff, the left-main landing gear would not fully retract. The pilot stated that he then extended the landing gear and performed various emergency procedures in an attempt to fully extend the left-main. The pilot was unable to get the left-main to lock in the down position and elected to land the airplane with the right-main and nosewheel extended. During the landing roll, the left-main gear collapsed and the airplane slid to a stop. Inspection of the left-main landing gear revealed that the upper-main landing gear strut's outer-body to inner-body needle bearing had failed, and the lower needle bearing was near failure. The lack of lubrication in this area was noted, along with evidence of severe corrosion development. The manufacturer's inspection program for this model aircraft does not address a calendar and/or time inspection interval, or lub rication interval for the upper and lower needle bearing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND OR RETRACT. UPON LANDING, LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED WITH RESULTING DAMAGE TO UNDERSIDE OF AIRCRAFT. THE CAUSE OF LANDING GEAR FAILURE WAS FOUND TO BE CORRODED UPPER AND LOWER LANDING GEAR STRUT INNER TO OUTER STRUT BODY NEEDLE BEARINGS. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT, AFTER TAKEOFF, THE LEFT-MAIN LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT FULLY RETRACT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THEN EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AND PERFORMED VARIOUS EMERGENCY PROCEDURES IN AN ATTEMPT TO FULLY EXTEND THE LEFT-MAIN. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE LEFT-MAIN TO LOCK IN THE DOWN POSITION AND ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE WITH THE RIGHT-MAIN AND NOSEWHEEL EXTENDED. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LEFT-MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP. INSPECTION OF THE LEFT-MAIN LANDING GEAR REVEALED THAT THE UPPER-MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT'S OUTER-BODY TO INNER-BODY NEEDLE BEARING HAD FAILED, AND THE LOWER NEEDLE BEARING WAS NEAR FAILURE. THE LACK OF LUBRICATION IN THIS AREA WAS NOTED, ALONG WITH EVIDENCE OF SEVERE CORROSION DEVELOPMENT. THE MANUFACTURER'S INSPECTION PROGRAM FOR THIS MODEL AIRCRAFT DOES NOT ADDRESS A CALENDAR AND/OR TIME INSPECTION INTERVAL, OR LUB RICATION INTERVAL FOR THE UPPER AND LOWER NEEDLE BEARING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA98LA073Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBillings, MTFailure of the main landing gear strut outer-body to inner-body needle bearing from the lack of lubrication and the development of corrosion. An inadequate manufacturer's inspection program was a factor.May 9, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9382R · 4

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20020226002909INormal Cruise · Billings, MT(-23) During cruise at 12,000 ft. the LH engine began to surge and the aircraft yawed left and the pilot noticed the left engine running rough. Occurrence repeated several times before the pilot contacted ATC and declared an emergency. The aircraft landed…Feb 26, 2002 · Reported as Gulstm 500AIncident 19940210049049IOther Ground Ops · Twin Falls, IDThe pilot of an aero commander AC-500 was maneuvering the aricraft from the non movement area to the taxi, run up area for the purpose of performing the de-ice inspection prior to excepting clearance to depart the airport. The pilot decided to abort the…Feb 10, 1994 · Reported as Gulstm 500A · Minor damageIncident 19850719042679IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Grand Forks, NDGear was retracted instead of flaps during landing rollout.Jul 19, 1985 · Reported as Gulstm 500A · Minor damageIncident 19801223087989ILevel Off Touchdown · Minot, NDUnable to extend left gear before landing. Gear was hung on gear door due to low strut extension.Dec 23, 1980 · Minor damage