What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 20, 2014 at approximately 1545 local time, a private pilot landed a Beech BE-36-A36 series aircraft at Colonel James Jabara Airport (aao), Wichita, Kansas with the aircraft?s landing gear in the retracted position.
The aircraft departed west memphis municipal airport (awm), west memphis, Arkansas, en-route to lloyd stearman field (1K1), benton, Kansas at a cruising altitude of 8500 feet mean sea level (MSL). Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the destination airport at the time of the incident.
While en-route the airman noticed the aircraft's ammeter discharging and elected to reset the alternator switch four times. After resetting, the ammeter still showed a discharge. When the alternator was turned off the red voltage light came on and when it was turned back on the light went out. At this point the airman decided to turn all nonessential equipment off and lower the landing gear normally. While moving the landing gear handle to the down position the aircraft lost all electrical power. The landing gear never even started to extend. The airman knew the area and decided to switch his destination to aao.
While en-route to aao the manual gear extension procedure was initiated. The placement of the spar cover prevented the manual extension of the landing gear. The gear extension handle became lodged behind the plastic spar cover and the airman was unable to crank the landing gear down.
After looking for other traffic and circling around while three other aircraft landed at aao the airman decided to land on the taxiway as to not close the runway. The aircraft landed on the parallel taxi way to runway 18 at aao with the landing gear in the retracted position.
About two hours later the aircraft was lifted on to a helicopter pad and towed to a hangar.
The airman and one other occupant on board the aircraft at the time of this incident did not sustain any injuries.
A post-incident inspection of the aircraft did reveal a total loss of electrical power and the spar cover may have been improperly installed. The gear extension handle was stuck behind the spar cover.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 20, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 1545 LOCAL TIME, A PRIVATE PILOT LANDED A BEECH BE-36-A36 SERIES AIRCRAFT AT COLONEL JAMES JABARA AIRPORT (AAO), WICHITA, KANSAS WITH THE AIRCRAFT?S LANDING GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED WEST MEMPHIS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (AWM), WEST MEMPHIS, ARKANSAS, EN-ROUTE TO LLOYD STEARMAN FIELD (1K1), BENTON, KANSAS AT A CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 8500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
WHILE EN-ROUTE THE AIRMAN NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT'S AMMETER DISCHARGING AND ELECTED TO RESET THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH FOUR TIMES. AFTER RESETTING, THE AMMETER STILL SHOWED A DISCHARGE. WHEN THE ALTERNATOR WAS TURNED OFF THE RED VOLTAGE LIGHT CAME ON AND WHEN IT WAS TURNED BACK ON THE LIGHT WENT OUT. AT THIS POINT THE AIRMAN DECIDED TO TURN ALL NONESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT OFF AND LOWER THE LANDING GEAR NORMALLY. WHILE MOVING THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE TO THE DOWN POSITION THE AIRCRAFT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. THE LANDING GEAR NEVER EVEN STARTED TO EXTEND. THE AIRMAN KNEW THE AREA AND DECIDED TO SWITCH HIS DESTINATION TO AAO.
WHILE EN-ROUTE TO AAO THE MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE WAS INITIATED. THE PLACEMENT OF THE SPAR COVER PREVENTED THE MANUAL EXTENSION OF THE LANDING GEAR. THE GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE BECAME LODGED BEHIND THE PLASTIC SPAR COVER AND THE AIRMAN WAS UNABLE TO CRANK THE LANDING GEAR DOWN.
AFTER LOOKING FOR OTHER TRAFFIC AND CIRCLING AROUND WHILE THREE OTHER AIRCRAFT LANDED AT AAO THE AIRMAN DECIDED TO LAND ON THE TAXIWAY AS TO NOT CLOSE THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE PARALLEL TAXI WAY TO RUNWAY 18 AT AAO WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION.
ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED ON TO A HELICOPTER PAD AND TOWED TO A HANGAR.
THE AIRMAN AND ONE OTHER OCCUPANT ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES.
A POST-INCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DID REVEAL A TOTAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER AND THE SPAR COVER MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED. THE GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE WAS STUCK BEHIND THE SPAR COVER.