20020830026299I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech A36 · Fairhope, AL · August 30, 2002

Date: August 30, 2002 · 18:15 local
Place: Fairhope, AL
Airport: Fairhope Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N7231R
Reported as: Beech A36
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,000 total25 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days

N7231RRegistered now · Beech A36S/N E-620 · Built 1974 Airframe modelBeech A36 Engine 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) After installing a new engine fuel system, a test flight was performed on the aircraft. Upon landing the nose wheel collapsed. After the aircraft slid off the right side of the runway, the right main gear also collapsed. The pilot stated that neither he nor the passenger remembers touching the gear handle after landing but that after the airplane came to rest the gear handle was in the up position. The aircraft owner said the gear selector detent had been inoperable for quite some time but that he had not experienced any uncommanded landing gear retractions or extensions.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AFTER INSTALLING A NEW ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM, A TEST FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED ON THE AIRCRAFT. UPON LANDING THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT SLID OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR ALSO COLLAPSED. THE PILOT STATED THAT NEITHER HE NOR THE PASSENGER REMEMBERS TOUCHING THE GEAR HANDLE AFTER LANDING BUT THAT AFTER THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST THE GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE UP POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER SAID THE GEAR SELECTOR DETENT HAD BEEN INOPERABLE FOR QUITE SOME TIME BUT THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY UNCOMMANDED LANDING GEAR RETRACTIONS OR EXTENSIONS.