20100919048429I

On April 6, 2010, this aircraft was involved in a landing incident, resulting in the nose gear being broken from the aircraft. It was returned to service after repairs were completed on July 20, 2010. Since the rebuild of the aircraft following the April 6th incident, this aircraft has experienced an intermittent but nagging gear in transit light in the up position. Prior maintenance included sending the hydraulic powerpack out for overhaul. The aircraft was again flown, yet the issue remained. A Beechcraft dealer advised muncie aviation to bleed the system, which they did. They informed the owner that the aircraft was again ready to fly. On September 19, 2010, the aircraft privacy data omitted, and his flight instructor flew from muncie (mie) airport to Marion (mzz) airport to prepare for his private pilot checkride. The first landing was uneventful, and was converted to a "touch and go." The student and instructor decided to stay in the pattern, and practice short field landings. On climb out, the aircraft in transit light did not go out, and blinked. The student pilot stated, "I cycled the gear at midfield, and they extended, locked and I landed without incident." This was completed four times. On the fourth time in the pattern, the student stated he again lowered the gear at midfield, lowered the flaps, and on final stated, "three green, full flaps," to the CFI. He stated that he "cut power just before reaching the numbers on 04 and glided into the landing." He felt a drop on the right side of the plane on touchdown, followed by a drop on the left. He heard a buzzer he thought to be the stall horn. The first discernable markings on the runway indicate that the main gear were collapsing as the aircraft rolled out. The nose gear on this aircraft retracts aft, rotating 90 degrees as it retracts. The nose tire nor strut demonstrate any signs of contacting the pavement, other than in the fully retracted position.