19980913038999I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech K35 · Morris, MN · September 13, 1998

Date: September 13, 1998 · 16:00 local
Place: Morris, MN
Airport: Morris Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N6059E
Reported as: Beech K35
Reported engine: Continental IO470C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 720 total175 in this make and model69 in the last 90 days

N6059ERegistered now · Beech K35S/N D-5988 · Built 1959 Airframe modelBeech K35 Engine modelContinental I0-470 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.

(-5)The owner allowed numerous people and their children to board his aircraft. One child moved the gear selector to the up position. The owner returned the selector to the down position. During takeoff, as the aircraft became light on the gear and the squat switch closed the gear began its retraction cycle. The nose gear folded and the aircraft sustained minor damage. The aircraft was later jacked and a gear retraction test performed. It was noted that due to wear between the landing gear lever and the switch, the switch was not always moved to the desired position. A malfunction and defect report is being filed.

As the FAA filed it

(-5)THE OWNER ALLOWED NUMEROUS PEOPLE AND THEIR CHILDREN TO BOARD HIS AIRCRAFT. ONE CHILD MOVED THE GEAR SELECTOR TO THE UP POSITION. THE OWNER RETURNED THE SELECTOR TO THE DOWN POSITION. DURING TAKEOFF, AS THE AIRCRAFT BECAME LIGHT ON THE GEAR AND THE SQUAT SWITCH CLOSED THE GEAR BEGAN ITS RETRACTION CYCLE. THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LATER JACKED AND A GEAR RETRACTION TEST PERFORMED. IT WAS NOTED THAT DUE TO WEAR BETWEEN THE LANDING GEAR LEVER AND THE SWITCH, THE SWITCH WAS NOT ALWAYS MOVED TO THE DESIRED POSITION. A MALFUNCTION AND DEFECT REPORT IS BEING FILED.