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20040206002469I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech 35BEECH · Lancaster, OH · February 6, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 6, 2004 · 17:30 local
Place
Lancaster, OH
Airport
Fairfield County Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N51394
Reported as
Beech 35BEECH
Reported engine
Continental E225*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,150 total275 in this make and model21 in the last 90 days
N51394Registration cancelled Apr 4, 2017 · Beech 35S/N D-576Airframe modelBeech 35

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) On February 7, 2004, operations and maintenance inspectors from the cmh flight standards district office arrived at the Fairfield County Airport (lhq) to talk to the pilot and examine the aircraft after the incident occurred the previous day. The pilot stated he was in the process of completing the first of three required takeoffs and landings to fulfill his currency requirements. During the first touch-and-go on runway 28, he said the initial touch down of both main gears was normal. However, prior to the nose touching down, he chose to retract the flaps in preparation for the go around. He further explained that he had indeed momentarily actuated the gear switch by mistake, instead of the flap switch. He thought he had corrected this error by actuating the gear switch; however, the nose gear was not in a locked configuration. As the weight of the aircraft shifted to the nose gear, the nose gear collapsed into the wheel well, the propeller contacted the runway. The aircraft came to rest on the runway in a nose down attitude. Further details are included in the attached pilot statement dated February 8, 2004.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FEBRUARY 7, 2004, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE INSPECTORS FROM THE CMH FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE ARRIVED AT THE FAIRFIELD COUNTY AIRPORT (LHQ) TO TALK TO THE PILOT AND EXAMINE THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING THE FIRST OF THREE REQUIRED TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS TO FULFILL HIS CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS. DURING THE FIRST TOUCH-AND-GO ON RUNWAY 28, HE SAID THE INITIAL TOUCH DOWN OF BOTH MAIN GEARS WAS NORMAL. HOWEVER, PRIOR TO THE NOSE TOUCHING DOWN, HE CHOSE TO RETRACT THE FLAPS IN PREPARATION FOR THE GO AROUND. HE FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD INDEED MOMENTARILY ACTUATED THE GEAR SWITCH BY MISTAKE, INSTEAD OF THE FLAP SWITCH. HE THOUGHT HE HAD CORRECTED THIS ERROR BY ACTUATING THE GEAR SWITCH; HOWEVER, THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT IN A LOCKED CONFIGURATION. AS THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT SHIFTED TO THE NOSE GEAR, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED INTO THE WHEEL WELL, THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE RUNWAY IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. FURTHER DETAILS ARE INCLUDED IN THE ATTACHED PILOT STATEMENT DATED FEBRUARY 8, 2004.