OpenAirDocs.org

20050806025689I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Beech 58 · Suffolk, VA · August 6, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
August 6, 2005 · 19:25 local
Place
Suffolk, VA
Airport
Suffolk Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N930BD
Reported as
Beech 58
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,950 total30 in this make and model70 in the last 90 days
N930BDRegistered now · Beech 58S/N TH-307 · Built 1973Airframe modelBeech 58Engine 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) Pilot reported normal approach to sfq, lowered flaps to approach position, moved landing gear selector to the down position, and lost all electrical power (did not hear the landing gear motor operate). Pilot then retracted the flaps successfully, moved the gear selector to the up position, and reported radios "came on", but, pilot did not receive radio responses. Pilot selected gear handle to down position and reported "radios went off again." He then selected gear up, yet he reported, "no radios came on". Pilot attempted to perform an emergency landing gear extension three times. The emergency handle "turned but seemed to be slipping and felt unusual." Pilot performed a gear up landing on the grass, adjacent to runway 22. Investigation revealed the aircraft electrical system had been inappropriately altered to not allow the master switch/circuit to control the electrical system. The ram air control switch/circuit had been wired (no maintenance record) to control the entire electrical system, acting as a type of anti-theft device. The owner had recently purchased this aircraft. Maintenance personnel on site performed three fault free landing gear extension/retraction checks using both electrical and emergency systems.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT REPORTED NORMAL APPROACH TO SFQ, LOWERED FLAPS TO APPROACH POSITION, MOVED LANDING GEAR SELECTOR TO THE DOWN POSITION, AND LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER (DID NOT HEAR THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR OPERATE). PILOT THEN RETRACTED THE FLAPS SUCCESSFULLY, MOVED THE GEAR SELECTOR TO THE UP POSITION, AND REPORTED RADIOS "CAME ON", BUT, PILOT DID NOT RECEIVE RADIO RESPONSES. PILOT SELECTED GEAR HANDLE TO DOWN POSITION AND REPORTED "RADIOS WENT OFF AGAIN." HE THEN SELECTED GEAR UP, YET HE REPORTED, "NO RADIOS CAME ON". PILOT ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION THREE TIMES. THE EMERGENCY HANDLE "TURNED BUT SEEMED TO BE SLIPPING AND FELT UNUSUAL." PILOT PERFORMED A GEAR UP LANDING ON THE GRASS, ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 22. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAD BEEN INAPPROPRIATELY ALTERED TO NOT ALLOW THE MASTER SWITCH/CIRCUIT TO CONTROL THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE RAM AIR CONTROL SWITCH/CIRCUIT HAD BEEN WIRED (NO MAINTENANCE RECORD) TO CONTROL THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ACTING AS A TYPE OF ANTI-THEFT DEVICE. THE OWNER HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS AIRCRAFT. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ON SITE PERFORMED THREE FAULT FREE LANDING GEAR EXTENSION/RETRACTION CHECKS USING BOTH ELECTRICAL AND EMERGENCY SYSTEMS.