What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 5, 1999, at 1225 hours pacific daylight time, a Beech A-36, N126GL, landed gear up on runway 16R at the Van Nuys, California, airport. The aircraft, operated under 14 CFR part 91, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot/owner was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight that had departed the Van Nuys Airport at an unknown time with a stop at the oxnard, California, airport. The flight was scheduled to terminate at the Van Nuys Airport. No flight plan was filed. In an interview with a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot stated that after departing from oxnard, no discrepancies were noted until he was over simi valley and lost all of his radios. He stated that he lowered the landing gear, but did not receive a gear safe indication light. The pilot reported that he continued his flight to Van Nuys and then circled west of the airport waiting for a green light from the tower. The pilot stated that after receiving the green light indication from the tower, he "thought the landing gear was in the down and locked position." He entered the pattern and landed on unlocked landing gear that resulted in the landing gear collapsing after touchdown. The FAA inspector stated that during the interview the pilot did not make reference to the pilot's operating handbook for emergency procedures to circumvent the electrical problem, or manual extension of the landing gear. The pilot was interviewed by the airport police and stated that he lost his navigational system and then radio communications. He reported that he rocked his wings back and forth, was given a green light from the tower to land, and assumed that the landing gear was down prior to the electrical failure. Air traffic control tower personnel reported that the accident aircraft entered the traffic pattern for 16R on a right base with no radio communication. Tower personnel attempted to communicate with the accident aircraft and subsequently flashed a green landing light when the gear was observed down and in place. (-23) during a local flight, aircraft suffered electrical malfunction which rendered communication and panel indications inoperative, upon signal from tower, a/c proceeded to land, and on touchdown the right main and nose gear collapsed.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 5, 1999, AT 1225 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH A-36, N126GL, LANDED GEAR UP ON RUNWAY 16R AT THE VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT, OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT HAD DEPARTED THE VAN NUYS AIRPORT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME WITH A STOP AT THE OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT THE VAN NUYS AIRPORT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER DEPARTING FROM OXNARD, NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED UNTIL HE WAS OVER SIMI VALLEY AND LOST ALL OF HIS RADIOS. HE STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A GEAR SAFE INDICATION LIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE CONTINUED HIS FLIGHT TO VAN NUYS AND THEN CIRCLED WEST OF THE AIRPORT WAITING FOR A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TOWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER RECEIVING THE GREEN LIGHT INDICATION FROM THE TOWER, HE "THOUGHT THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION." HE ENTERED THE PATTERN AND LANDED ON UNLOCKED LANDING GEAR THAT RESULTED IN THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSING AFTER TOUCHDOWN. THE FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT DURING THE INTERVIEW THE PILOT DID NOT MAKE REFERENCE TO THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR EMERGENCY PROCEDURES TO CIRCUMVENT THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, OR MANUAL EXTENSION OF THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE AIRPORT POLICE AND STATED THAT HE LOST HIS NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM AND THEN RADIO COMMUNICATIONS. HE REPORTED THAT HE ROCKED HIS WINGS BACK AND FORTH, WAS GIVEN A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TOWER TO LAND, AND ASSUMED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN PRIOR TO THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR 16R ON A RIGHT BASE WITH NO RADIO COMMUNICATION. TOWER PERSONNEL ATTEMPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AND SUBSEQUENTLY FLASHED A GREEN LANDING LIGHT WHEN THE GEAR WAS OBSERVED DOWN AND IN PLACE. (-23) DURING A LOCAL FLIGHT, AIRCRAFT SUFFERED ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION WHICH RENDERED COMMUNICATION AND PANEL INDICATIONS INOPERATIVE, UPON SIGNAL FROM TOWER, A/C PROCEEDED TO LAND, AND ON TOUCHDOWN THE RIGHT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.