# Incident 20120312004029I: Beech D-45, Okeechobee, FL, March 12, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 12, 2012, 12:40 local time
- Place: Okeechobee, FL
- Airport: Okeechobee County
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.2666° N, 80.8504° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at OKEECHOBEE COUNTY (OBE), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.2666&lon=-80.8504&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8662E (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BEECH D-45
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 625 total, 125 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120312004029I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AN AIRCRAFT A BE-45 LEAVING FROM A PREVIOUS AIRSHOW ATTENDED WAS TRAVELING BACK TO PUNTA GORDA AND DIVERTED INTO OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AIRPORT FOR LOW FUEL INDICATION. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD JUST DEPARTED FROM TITUSVILLE WITH FULL FUEL & NO VARIATIONS. THE AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED WITH AN ELECTRICALLY TRIGGERED FUEL GAUGE IN WHICH NOW BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE. UPON APPROACH AND ENTERING THE DOWNWIND FOR LANDING, WITH THREE GREEN LIGHTS, HE THEN ENCOUNTERED AN INTERMITTENT DIGITAL DISPLAY AND NEGATIVE FLAP RESPONSE IN WHICH ARE ALSO ELECTRIC. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL HE EXECUTED HIS ROLL OUT THEN THE GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING DAMAGE TO INBOARD GEAR DOORS, NOSE DOORS, AUGMENTER TUBES AND OTHER MINOR MISCELLANEOUS DAMAGE AS WELL AS THE BELLY ANTENNAS. HOWEVER, THE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE THAT OF THE PROPELLER FROM STRIKING THE GROUND AFTER THE GEAR COLLAPSED AND BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST. DURING REMOVAL FROM THE TAXIWAY AND ATTEMPTING TO LOCK THE GEAR DOWN FOR TRANSFER, THE RIGHT GEAR APPEARED UNSAFE. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED EVIDENCE OF THE RIGHT WHEEL WELL SQUAT SWITCH DEPRESSED AS TO WHY HE MAY HAVE HAD AN UNSAFE INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT. A PRELIMINARY VISUAL INSPECTION WITH THE MECHANIC SHOWS THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION WITH A LINEAR ACTUATOR WITHIN THE SYSTEM; IT ALSO IS ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN AND MAY BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IF ELECTRICAL INPUT WAS LOST. WHILE INVESTIGATING A POSSIBLE CAUSE THE RECORDS SHOW THIS AIRCRAFT HAS HAD A MODIFICATION BY CONVERTING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FROM A GENERATOR TYPE TO AN ALTERNATOR TYPE SYSTEM AND ACCORDING TO THE OWNER HAS HAD PREVIOUS MALFUNCTIONS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPAIRED AS REQUIRED FOR A FERRY FLIGHT AND CURRENTLY IS UNDER REPAIR.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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