20070401004249I

Incident

FAA incident report · Beech 50 · Grand Island, NE · April 1, 2007

Date: April 1, 2007 · 17:24 local
Place: Grand Island, NE
Airport: Central Nebraska Regional
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N369
Reported as: Beech 50
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0

N369Registered now · Beech 50S/N H-7 · Built 1955 Airframe modelBeech 50 Engine modelLycoming GO-435C&D 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) N369, BE-50-50, departed Grand Island, NE, for a local flight. After departure the pilot stated that when he put the gear up he lost electrical power. The pilot called the FBO on a cell phone and had them notify the tower that the aircraft had lost electrical power, and as a result he was unable to contact them by radio. The pilot manually put the gear down. The pilot made a fly by of the tower and landed safely. Maintenance found the battery dead. They stated that when the pilot put the gear up, the up limit switch did not shut the gear motor off, and the gear motor drained the battery. Maintenance changed the battery and adjusted the landing gear up limit switch.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N369, BE-50-50, DEPARTED GRAND ISLAND, NE, FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. AFTER DEPARTURE THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE PUT THE GEAR UP HE LOST ELECTRICAL POWER. THE PILOT CALLED THE FBO ON A CELL PHONE AND HAD THEM NOTIFY THE TOWER THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD LOST ELECTRICAL POWER, AND AS A RESULT HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THEM BY RADIO. THE PILOT MANUALLY PUT THE GEAR DOWN. THE PILOT MADE A FLY BY OF THE TOWER AND LANDED SAFELY. MAINTENANCE FOUND THE BATTERY DEAD. THEY STATED THAT WHEN THE PILOT PUT THE GEAR UP, THE UP LIMIT SWITCH DID NOT SHUT THE GEAR MOTOR OFF, AND THE GEAR MOTOR DRAINED THE BATTERY. MAINTENANCE CHANGED THE BATTERY AND ADJUSTED THE LANDING GEAR UP LIMIT SWITCH.