19981231045299I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech 58 · Sioux Falls, SD · December 31, 1998

Date: December 31, 1998 · 04:15 local
Place: Sioux Falls, SD
Airport: Joe Foss Field
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: BSYA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N400RP
Reported as: Beech 58
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,400 total1,500 in this make and model300 in the last 90 days

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)When pilot selected gear down, he heard a loud noise but got the cockpit indication that the gear was extended. Suspecting that he might have a gear problem, he contacted msp ARTCC and notified them. He also contacted his company maintenance department via radio. He landed at Sioux Falls, SD, and upon touchdown the aitplane settled on its right side. The pilot suspected that the right gear was frozen in the wheel well. Before departure at des moines, IA, he had taxied through ice and slush and his brakes had frozen. Mechanics at business aviation in Sioux Falls, SD, inspected the airplane and found the right rod retract assembly was damaged and the right gear was still in the retacted position. The down switch for landing gear is on the gear actuator. When the actuator reaches a predetermined position, a switch contact is made and the cockpit indictation is on green light. In this incident the pilot had a green light even though not all three wheels were extended.

As the FAA filed it

(-5)WHEN PILOT SELECTED GEAR DOWN, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE BUT GOT THE COCKPIT INDICATION THAT THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED. SUSPECTING THAT HE MIGHT HAVE A GEAR PROBLEM, HE CONTACTED MSP ARTCC AND NOTIFIED THEM. HE ALSO CONTACTED HIS COMPANY MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT VIA RADIO. HE LANDED AT SIOUX FALLS, SD, AND UPON TOUCHDOWN THE AITPLANE SETTLED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT SUSPECTED THAT THE RIGHT GEAR WAS FROZEN IN THE WHEEL WELL. BEFORE DEPARTURE AT DES MOINES, IA, HE HAD TAXIED THROUGH ICE AND SLUSH AND HIS BRAKES HAD FROZEN. MECHANICS AT BUSINESS AVIATION IN SIOUX FALLS, SD, INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE AND FOUND THE RIGHT ROD RETRACT ASSEMBLY WAS DAMAGED AND THE RIGHT GEAR WAS STILL IN THE RETACTED POSITION. THE DOWN SWITCH FOR LANDING GEAR IS ON THE GEAR ACTUATOR. WHEN THE ACTUATOR REACHES A PREDETERMINED POSITION, A SWITCH CONTACT IS MADE AND THE COCKPIT INDICTATION IS ON GREEN LIGHT. IN THIS INCIDENT THE PILOT HAD A GREEN LIGHT EVEN THOUGH NOT ALL THREE WHEELS WERE EXTENDED.