# Accident 19991226037189A: Beech 6580, Mesa, AZ, December 26, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 26, 1999, 12:42 local time - Place: Mesa, AZ - Airport: Falcon Field Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.4393° N, 111.8496° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4393&lon=-111.8496&mi=10 - Aircraft: N184R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N184R-2002-07-22) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech 65-80 (registry code 1152806, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-65-80) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IGSO-540-B1A (registry code 41535, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-igso-540-b1a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 6580 - Reported engine: LYC IGSO540A1A - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,462 total, 21 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA064) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991226037189A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON DECEMBER 26, 1999, ABOUT 1242 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 65-80, N184R, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, EXPERIENCED THE COLLAPSE OF ITS LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR DURING LANDING ROLLOUT AT FALCON FIELD, MESA, ARIZONA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND NEITHER THE PILOT NOR PASSENGER WAS INJURED. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOLLOWING THE AIRPLANE'S ANNUAL INSPECTION. DURING THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION PROCESS ON TAKEOFF, THE PILOT OBSERVED A COCKPIT INDICATION THAT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR DID NOT NORMALLY RETRACT. DURING LANDING, NO GREEN LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT WAS OBSERVED FOR THE LEFT GEAR. (-23)SEE ATTACHED PTRS LAX00LA064 (.4)ON DECEMBER 26, 1999, ABOUT 1242 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 65-80, N184R, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, EXPERIENCED THE COLLAPSE OF ITS LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR DURING LANDING ROLLOUT AT FALCON FIELD, MESA, ARIZONA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED UNDER THE PROVISION OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE TWO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MESA ABOUT 1220. IN PERTINENT PART, THE PILOT REPARTED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOLLOWING THE AIRPLANE'S ANNUAL INSPECTION. ONE UNEVENTFUL TAKEOFF AND LANDING WAS PERFORMED. DURING THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION PROCESS ON THE NEXT TAKEOFF, THE PILOT OBSERVED A COCKPIT INDICATION THAT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR DID NOT NORMALLY RETRACT. NO "UP LOCK" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT, IN AN EFFORT AT REMEDYING THE SITUATION, THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS PULLED. THEN, THE HAND PUMP WAS UTILIZED TO MANUALLY EXTEND THE GEAR. FOLLOWING THIS EFFORT, ONLY TWO GREEN LANDING GEAR POSITION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT STATED HE INFORMED THE CONTROL TOWER THAT HE WOULD BE LANDING WITH AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION. AFTER LANDING AND ROLLING BETWEEN 80 AND 100 FEET, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. AS THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP IT VEERED INTO A TAXI LIGHT AND ONTO THE DIRT CLEARWAY. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) COORDINATOR VERBALLY REPORTED TO THE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT UPON EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE THE LEFT GEAR'S ACTUATOR SHAFT WAS OBSERVED BROKEN IN HALF, AND THE ASSOCIATED KNUCKLE ATTACHMENT BOLTS HAD BEEN "PULLED OUT" OF THE STRUCTURE. NO EVIDENCE OF PREEXISTING MALFUNCTION, CORROSION, OR OTHER DEFECT WAS NOTED IN THIS AREA OFTHE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY. THE FAA FURTHER INDICATED THAT ALTHOUGH THE OBSERVED OVERLOAD-TYPE FAILURE APPEARED CONSISTENT WITH THE AIRPLANE HAVING BEEN SUBJECT TO A HARD LANDING AT SOME TIME DURING ITS OPERATION, NO SPECIFIC DATE(S) WAS DETERMINED FOR THE OCCURRENCE. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX00LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA064), Dec 26, 1999: Beech 65-80 (N184R), Mesa, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The collapse of a main landing gear due to damage from a hard landing at an undetermined time. ## Other reports on N184R (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19910420018309I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910420018309I), Apr 20, 1991: Beech 6580 (N184R), Dallas, TX. Engine rough. Diverted for landing. Oil seal on NR1 turbo charger impeller shaft blew causing rough engine. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.