What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 03, 2015, at approximately 1740 central daylight time, N85FH, a Beechcraft BE-58, was on a 14 code of federal regulations part 91 flight from spirit of st. louis airport (ksus) to Sikeston Memorial Municipal Airport (ksik) with three passengers onboard. N85FH landed at ksik with its gear in the ?up? Position. The aircraft slid approximately 500-600 feet on its lower fuselage down the runway, leaving strikes from both the left and right propellers and metal skid marks from the fuselage. There was no indication of tire marks on the runway from this aircraft. All passengers evacuated the aircraft with no injuries.
Prior to the FAA arrival, the aircraft had been moved to a hanger and set on the floor on its lower fuselage. During the investigation the landing gear handle was found in the ?up? Position, the flap handle was in the approach position, and the landing gear motor circuit breaker was found in the open position. The landing gear was still in the wheel well on the stops. The right main landing gear door was opened approximately 10-15 degrees. The left main and nose landing gear doors were closed. The left and right flaps, left and right props, lower fuselage and all landing gear doors were damaged. This damage was associated with a gear up landing and not a gear collaspe.
On June 16, 2015 the FAA witnessed mountain airframe LLC put the aircraft on jacks and perform a gear retraction test. When the gear was operated electricaly in the down position, the gear extended normally with the three green light indications. When the gear was operated electricaly in the up position the gear motor circuit breaker would fault to the open position about 15 degrees from full up postion(the same position I originally observed the actuator assembly before jacking the aircraft). The nose retract rod was slightly bent, left main retract rod was significantly bent. Main gear door retract rods were broken off at the inboard attach points. The landing gear system could not be electrically nor manually retracted beyond this point (approx. 15 degrees from full up position), and thus to isolate the problem, mountain airframe LLC removed the interior spar cover and disconnected all 3 landing gear retract rods from the landing gear actuator assembly. Then hand cranked the landing gear actuator to the internal up stop, and then to the internal down stop, and then back to the internal up stop with no anomalies noted.
Mountain airframe LLC determined the landing gear did start the extension process, the right main door operated about 10-15 degrees in the down position; however the landing gear itself never had a chance to move before the aircraft came in contact with the runway. The opened landing gear motor circuit breaker , the bent retract rods, damage to the aircraft, and lack of damage to the gear, is all indicative of the landing gear trying to lift the aircraft off the runway and overloading system.
The three passengers onboard the aircraft all reported a smooth landing and then a feeling a short time later like a tire went flat. One passenger reported hearing the tires hit the pavement. Upon inspection of the aircraft all three tires were still inflated.
Pilots statement has not been obtained at this time. If and when it is received this report will be amended.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 03, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 1740 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, N85FH, A BEECHCRAFT BE-58, WAS ON A 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 FLIGHT FROM SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS AIRPORT (KSUS) TO SIKESTON MEMORIAL MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KSIK) WITH THREE PASSENGERS ONBOARD. N85FH LANDED AT KSIK WITH ITS GEAR IN THE ?UP? POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY 500-600 FEET ON ITS LOWER FUSELAGE DOWN THE RUNWAY, LEAVING STRIKES FROM BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT PROPELLERS AND METAL SKID MARKS FROM THE FUSELAGE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF TIRE MARKS ON THE RUNWAY FROM THIS AIRCRAFT. ALL PASSENGERS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.
PRIOR TO THE FAA ARRIVAL, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MOVED TO A HANGER AND SET ON THE FLOOR ON ITS LOWER FUSELAGE. DURING THE INVESTIGATION THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE WAS FOUND IN THE ?UP? POSITION, THE FLAP HANDLE WAS IN THE APPROACH POSITION, AND THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS FOUND IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE LANDING GEAR WAS STILL IN THE WHEEL WELL ON THE STOPS. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR DOOR WAS OPENED APPROXIMATELY 10-15 DEGREES. THE LEFT MAIN AND NOSE LANDING GEAR DOORS WERE CLOSED. THE LEFT AND RIGHT FLAPS, LEFT AND RIGHT PROPS, LOWER FUSELAGE AND ALL LANDING GEAR DOORS WERE DAMAGED. THIS DAMAGE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A GEAR UP LANDING AND NOT A GEAR COLLASPE.
ON JUNE 16, 2015 THE FAA WITNESSED MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME LLC PUT THE AIRCRAFT ON JACKS AND PERFORM A GEAR RETRACTION TEST. WHEN THE GEAR WAS OPERATED ELECTRICALY IN THE DOWN POSITION, THE GEAR EXTENDED NORMALLY WITH THE THREE GREEN LIGHT INDICATIONS. WHEN THE GEAR WAS OPERATED ELECTRICALY IN THE UP POSITION THE GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WOULD FAULT TO THE OPEN POSITION ABOUT 15 DEGREES FROM FULL UP POSTION(THE SAME POSITION I ORIGINALLY OBSERVED THE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY BEFORE JACKING THE AIRCRAFT). THE NOSE RETRACT ROD WAS SLIGHTLY BENT, LEFT MAIN RETRACT ROD WAS SIGNIFICANTLY BENT. MAIN GEAR DOOR RETRACT RODS WERE BROKEN OFF AT THE INBOARD ATTACH POINTS. THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM COULD NOT BE ELECTRICALLY NOR MANUALLY RETRACTED BEYOND THIS POINT (APPROX. 15 DEGREES FROM FULL UP POSITION), AND THUS TO ISOLATE THE PROBLEM, MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME LLC REMOVED THE INTERIOR SPAR COVER AND DISCONNECTED ALL 3 LANDING GEAR RETRACT RODS FROM THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY. THEN HAND CRANKED THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR TO THE INTERNAL UP STOP, AND THEN TO THE INTERNAL DOWN STOP, AND THEN BACK TO THE INTERNAL UP STOP WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED.
MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME LLC DETERMINED THE LANDING GEAR DID START THE EXTENSION PROCESS, THE RIGHT MAIN DOOR OPERATED ABOUT 10-15 DEGREES IN THE DOWN POSITION; HOWEVER THE LANDING GEAR ITSELF NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO MOVE BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE OPENED LANDING GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER , THE BENT RETRACT RODS, DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, AND LACK OF DAMAGE TO THE GEAR, IS ALL INDICATIVE OF THE LANDING GEAR TRYING TO LIFT THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RUNWAY AND OVERLOADING SYSTEM.
THE THREE PASSENGERS ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT ALL REPORTED A SMOOTH LANDING AND THEN A FEELING A SHORT TIME LATER LIKE A TIRE WENT FLAT. ONE PASSENGER REPORTED HEARING THE TIRES HIT THE PAVEMENT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ALL THREE TIRES WERE STILL INFLATED.
PILOTS STATEMENT HAS NOT BEEN OBTAINED AT THIS TIME. IF AND WHEN IT IS RECEIVED THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED.