20010418006629A

(.19) ON APRIL 18, 2001, AT 1651 EDT, A GLOBE SWIFT GC-1B, N2429B, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE LANDING AT TOLEDO EXPRESS AIRPORT, SWANTON, OHIO. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHNE HE ARRIVED IN THE AREA, HE WAS SEQUENCED BEHIND A DC-9 FOR RUNWAY 34. ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 25, AND THE PILOT WAS ADVISED OF A POSSIBLE GO-AROUND IF THERE WAS A CONFLICT WITH THAT TRAFFIC. IN ADDITION, A CESSNA CITATION, ALSO LANDING ON RUNWAY 34, HAD BEEN SEQUENCED BEHIND THE PILOT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN HE WAS ON BASE LEG, HE PLACED THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH IN THE DOWN POSITION, AND PLANNED TO MAKE A WHEEL LANDING. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE VOLUME OF AIR TRAFFIC, HE FAILED TO VERIFY THE GREEN LIGHT THAT WOULD HAVE INDICATED BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. HIS FIRST INDICATION THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT DOWN, OCCURRED WHEN THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY, FOLLOWED BY THE AIRPLANE SLIDING ON THE RUNWAY. AFTER THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST, HE CHECKED THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH AND IT WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. ACCORDING TO AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FAA, TWO STRUCTURAL BULKHEADS LOCATED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE, AT 32 AND 36 INCHES BEHIND THE FIREWALL HAD BEEN GROUND DOWN ON THE BOTTOM AND WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. THE PILOT REPORTED HIS TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WAS ABOUT 5,500 HOURS. HE HAD OWNED THE AIRPLANE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. (-23)N2429B LANDED GEAR-UP. PILOT INDICATED THAT HE WAS DISTRACTED WHEN HE WAS DIRECTED BY ATCT TO FOLLOW A HEAVIER DC-9 AND TO SLOW FOR TRAFFIC LANDING ON A CROSSING RUNWAY. PILOT STATED HE PLACED THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH IN THE DOWN POSITION; HOWEVER, HE FAILED TO CHECK THE GEAR INDICATORS TO VERIFY THE GEAR WERE FULLT EXTENDED. ADDITIONALLY, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WHICH COULD BE A CAUSAL FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT. THIS AND OTHER AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES WILL BE RESOLVED BY FURTHER INVESTIGATION--^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME HE WAS LANDING, MULTIPLE RUNWAYS WERE BEING USED AND HE WAS SEQUENCED BETWEEN TWO JETS. HE WAS DIVIDING HIS TIME AND ATTENTION BETWEEN THE OTHER AIRPLANES AND HIS AIRPLANE. HE REMEMBER ED THAT HE ROTATED THE LANDING SWITCH TO THE DOWN POSITION, AND BELIEVED THE LANDING GEAR HAD EXTENDED. HOWEVER, WHEN HE FLARED TO LAND, THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, AND AT THAT POINT HE REALIZED THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE ROTARY SWITCH WHICH INITIATED THE ELECTRO/HYDRAULIC EXTENSION OF THE LANDING GEAR WAS WORN AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THE SWITCH WAS ROTATED FULLY TO MAKE THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS NECESSARY FOR LANDING GEAR EXTENSION. A CHECK OF THE WARNING LIGHT THAT ILLUMINATED WITH A CLOSED THROTTLE, AND LANDING GEAR NOT EXTENDED, REVEALED IT WOULD ILLUMINATE ONLY OF THE THROTTLE WAS PULLED FORCIBLY TO THE THROTTLE CLOSED POSITION. THE AIRPLANE WAS ALSO EQUIPPED WITH A PAIR OF RED PAINTED WIRES ON THE TOP OF THE WING WHICH WERE VISIBLE WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED, AND NOT VISIBLE WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT DUE TO THE VOLUME OF AIR TRAFFIC, HE FAILED TO VERIFY THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED PRIOR TO LANDING.