19980917032339I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech 35-C33A · San Bernadino, CA · September 17, 1998

Date: September 17, 1998 · 17:30 local
Place: San Bernadino, CA
Airport: Norton Afb
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N88YY
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 750 total25 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N88YYRegistered now · Beech 35-C33AS/N CE-64 · Built 1966 Airframe modelBeech 35-C33A Engine modelContinental IO-520 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.

When the pilot rotated the aircraft for take-off, the landings gear retracted and the aircraft settled back on to the runway. The aircraft came to rest about 1800 feet down the runway from the starting point. There was minor damage to the underside skin and propeller the pilot maintained that he did not retract the gear and that the green gear safe light was on during taxi and take-off roll. In this model aircraft, if the gear handle is in the "up" position, and the squat switch is depressed, the green gear safe light will stay on. When weight is taken off the squat switch, the gear will retract. A mechanic at the scene stated that the gear handle was in the "up" position and that this accident was similar to other accidents he had seen where the pilot took off with the gear handle in the "up" position. It appears that the pilot did not complete a through preflight inspection before the flight. The pilot will be reexamined unde section 44709.

As the FAA filed it

WHEN THE PILOT ROTATED THE AIRCRAFT FOR TAKE-OFF, THE LANDINGS GEAR RETRACTED AND THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED BACK ON TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ABOUT 1800 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY FROM THE STARTING POINT. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE SKIN AND PROPELLER THE PILOT MAINTAINED THAT HE DID NOT RETRACT THE GEAR AND THAT THE GREEN GEAR SAFE LIGHT WAS ON DURING TAXI AND TAKE-OFF ROLL. IN THIS MODEL AIRCRAFT, IF THE GEAR HANDLE IS IN THE "UP" POSITION, AND THE SQUAT SWITCH IS DEPRESSED, THE GREEN GEAR SAFE LIGHT WILL STAY ON. WHEN WEIGHT IS TAKEN OFF THE SQUAT SWITCH, THE GEAR WILL RETRACT. A MECHANIC AT THE SCENE STATED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE "UP" POSITION AND THAT THIS ACCIDENT WAS SIMILAR TO OTHER ACCIDENTS HE HAD SEEN WHERE THE PILOT TOOK OFF WITH THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE "UP" POSITION. IT APPEARS THAT THE PILOT DID NOT COMPLETE A THROUGH PREFLIGHT INSPECTION BEFORE THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT WILL BE REEXAMINED UNDE SECTION 44709.