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20020707037219I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech D-45 · Lemars, IA · July 7, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 7, 2002 · 10:45 local
Place
Lemars, IA
Airport
Lemars Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5734B
Reported as
Beech D45
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,300 total350 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N5734BRegistered now · Beech D-45S/N BG-365 · Built 1956Airframe modelBeech D-45Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) Flight was a local VFR pleasure flight from Lemars, IA (lrj) with the pilot and one passenger. While on final approach to runway 18 at lrj, the PIC selected the gear to the down position. While the gear was in transit, the aircraft experienced a total electrical power failure. Witnesses, on the end of the runway, reported the gear was down, but did not appear to be locked. They also stated they saw the landing light extinguish as the aircraft approached the runway. The passenger, a licensed pilot, also confirmed the total electrical failure. The PIC stated he thought the gear was down and locked, but with the loss of electrical power, was unable to confirm the gear position. He also stated that he contemplated going around, flying away from the airport and try to resolve the electrical issue, but decided to continue with the landing. Due to the airshow event, he knew crash/fire/rescue was immediately available. Without knowing the full extent of the malfunction he was experiencing, he elected to continue instead of taking a chance of an off airport forced landing trying to trouble shoot the problem. Upon touchdown, the gear collapsed. The aircraft skidded 300 ft. and came to rest on the right edge of the runway.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) FLIGHT WAS A LOCAL VFR PLEASURE FLIGHT FROM LEMARS, IA (LRJ) WITH THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 18 AT LRJ, THE PIC SELECTED THE GEAR TO THE DOWN POSITION. WHILE THE GEAR WAS IN TRANSIT, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL POWER FAILURE. WITNESSES, ON THE END OF THE RUNWAY, REPORTED THE GEAR WAS DOWN, BUT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE LOCKED. THEY ALSO STATED THEY SAW THE LANDING LIGHT EXTINGUISH AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE RUNWAY. THE PASSENGER, A LICENSED PILOT, ALSO CONFIRMED THE TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE PIC STATED HE THOUGHT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED, BUT WITH THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER, WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM THE GEAR POSITION. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE CONTEMPLATED GOING AROUND, FLYING AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT AND TRY TO RESOLVE THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE, BUT DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH THE LANDING. DUE TO THE AIRSHOW EVENT, HE KNEW CRASH/FIRE/RESCUE WAS IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. WITHOUT KNOWING THE FULL EXTENT OF THE MALFUNCTION HE WAS EXPERIENCING, HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE INSTEAD OF TAKING A CHANCE OF AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING TRYING TO TROUBLE SHOOT THE PROBLEM. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED 300 FT. AND CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY.