# Incident 20160723011429I: Beech 35, Liberal, KS, July 23, 2016

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 23, 2016, 05:05 local time
- Place: Liberal, KS
- Airport: Liberal Mid-America Regional
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.0439° N, 100.9600° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at LIBERAL MID-AMERICA RGNL (LBL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0439&lon=-100.9600&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4550V, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4550V-2019-11-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 35 (registry code 1151502, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-35) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental E185 series (registry code 17014, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-e185-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 35
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR E185 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 391 total, 194 in this make and model, 23 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160723011429I

## Narrative

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

AFTER TAKE-OFF THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED AND THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD ?POP?.  THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT RETRACTED BY USING MIRRORS LOCATED ON THE WING FUEL TIP TANKS.  THE PILOT CONTINUED HIS FLIGHT TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT.  AFTER LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR HE COULD STILL SEE THAT NOSE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED.  DURING THE LANDING THE NOSE LOWERED AND CONTINUED TO LOWER UNTIL THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE PAVEMENT.  THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE CENTER LINE OF THE RUNWAY WITH THE NOSE ON THE PAVEMENT.  THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.

THE INSPECTOR ARRIVED TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT.  THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE JAMMED CLOSED, AFTER OPENING THE NOSE GEAR DOORS THE NOSE GEAR SWUNG FREE.  EXAMINATION FOUND THAT THE ROD END (P/N- HM-5S) CONNECTING THE RETRACT/EXTEND ROD TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR HAD FAILED; THIS ALLOWED THE NOSE GEAR TO SWING FREELY. THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT ABLE TO BE LOCKED IN THE DOWN POSITION.  EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT LOG RECORDS COULD NOT IDENTIFY THAT THE ROD END HAD EVER BEEN CHANGED SINCE MANUFACTURE OF THE AIRCRAFT.

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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