What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft attempted to take off, but the acft did not get off the ground. The acft struck mangroves damaging the right and left wings, propeller, and nose gear.(-23) landing gear failed to extend electrically or by manual extension. Pilot landed gear up causing substantial damage. Pilot reported after lifting aircraft with a sling, both main extended with hand crank, but, the nose gear did not. A broken step cable was found wrapped around nose strut. After cable removed nose was manually pulled down. Cable found broken and extremely corroded. Aircraft had last annual 1991. (.19) on September 23, 1998, at 1400 pacific daylight time, a Beech A35, N516B, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, landed with the landing gear retracted at the Christmas valley airstrip, Christmas valley, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane had just taken off from Christmas valley, for the local flight. The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff he retracted the landing gear and heard a "snap" or "pop." The pilot cycled the landing gear and found that the gear would not extend. The pilot attempted to hand crank the landing gear down without success. The pilot returned to Christmas valley and landed gear-up.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF, BUT THE ACFT DID NOT GET OFF THE GROUND. THE ACFT STRUCK MANGROVES DAMAGING THE RIGHT AND LEFT WINGS, PROPELLER, AND NOSE GEAR.(-23) LANDING GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND ELECTRICALLY OR BY MANUAL EXTENSION. PILOT LANDED GEAR UP CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. PILOT REPORTED AFTER LIFTING AIRCRAFT WITH A SLING, BOTH MAIN EXTENDED WITH HAND CRANK, BUT, THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT. A BROKEN STEP CABLE WAS FOUND WRAPPED AROUND NOSE STRUT. AFTER CABLE REMOVED NOSE WAS MANUALLY PULLED DOWN. CABLE FOUND BROKEN AND EXTREMELY CORRODED. AIRCRAFT HAD LAST ANNUAL 1991. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1998, AT 1400 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH A35, N516B, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AT THE CHRISTMAS VALLEY AIRSTRIP, CHRISTMAS VALLEY, OREGON. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM CHRISTMAS VALLEY, FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF HE RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR AND HEARD A "SNAP" OR "POP." THE PILOT CYCLED THE LANDING GEAR AND FOUND THAT THE GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO HAND CRANK THE LANDING GEAR DOWN WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE PILOT RETURNED TO CHRISTMAS VALLEY AND LANDED GEAR-UP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.