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20190419003049I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech M35 · Augusta, ME · April 19, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 19, 2019 · 14:00 local
Place
Augusta, ME
Airport
Augusta State
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N706CM
Reported as
Beech M35
Reported engine
Continental I0-470 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
3,468 total13 in this make and model142 in the last 90 days
N706CMRegistered now · Beech M35S/N D-6173 · Built 1959Airframe modelBeech M35Engine modelContinental I0-470 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On April 19, 2019 the pilot-in-command of N706CM, a BE-35-M35 Beech bonanza attempted a landing on runway 26 at kaug, Augusta State Airport, Augusta, ME. After touchdown, the pilot was attempting to raise the flaps as a technique for reducing the ground roll. However, the pilot erroneously activated the handle for the retractable landing gear. The pilot stated that he immediately noticed the pitch of the aircraft decrease although the airplane was already on the ground. At this point, the pilot realized his error and attempted to put the gear back down. However, by this time the nose gear had retracted enough to allow the nose to pitch down allowing the propeller to strike the runway surface. Simultaneously, the left main gear partially retracted causing the left wing to drop and also make contact with the runway. The airplane then skidded to a stop at an angle to the runway. The pilot stated that he then secured the aircraft by shutting off the fuel valve and master switch. Upon deplaning, the pilot and his passenger were met with multiple parties from the FBO and adjacent maintenance hangar that had witnessed the event. Neither the pilot nor the passenger experienced any injuries. Photographs of the aircraft at rest on the runway and a brief written report were provided by the Augusta airport maintenance supervisor.

On April 23, 2019, the iic provided the pilot with an FAA compliance philosophy brochure prior to discussing the event. On may 6, 2019, during questioning from the iic, the airman acknowledged that the technique used in which he attempted to retract the flaps to reduce the ground roll is not part of an approved procedure in the airplane flight manual/pilot operating handbook.

This operation and the resultant incident represent a pilot error in the form of a careless act and therefore represent a potential regulatory non-compliance with 14 CFR 91.13(a).

The pilot was very cooperative throughout the investigation and a determination was made to recommend the pilot for a compliance action in the form of remedial training (rt) in order to mitigate future risk of recurrence of a similar action.

As the FAA filed it

ON APRIL 19, 2019 THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND OF N706CM, A BE-35-M35 BEECH BONANZA ATTEMPTED A LANDING ON RUNWAY 26 AT KAUG, AUGUSTA STATE AIRPORT, AUGUSTA, ME. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO RAISE THE FLAPS AS A TECHNIQUE FOR REDUCING THE GROUND ROLL. HOWEVER, THE PILOT ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATED THE HANDLE FOR THE RETRACTABLE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE PITCH OF THE AIRCRAFT DECREASE ALTHOUGH THE AIRPLANE WAS ALREADY ON THE GROUND. AT THIS POINT, THE PILOT REALIZED HIS ERROR AND ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE GEAR BACK DOWN. HOWEVER, BY THIS TIME THE NOSE GEAR HAD RETRACTED ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE NOSE TO PITCH DOWN ALLOWING THE PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY SURFACE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR PARTIALLY RETRACTED CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO DROP AND ALSO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE THEN SKIDDED TO A STOP AT AN ANGLE TO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THEN SECURED THE AIRCRAFT BY SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL VALVE AND MASTER SWITCH. UPON DEPLANING, THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE MET WITH MULTIPLE PARTIES FROM THE FBO AND ADJACENT MAINTENANCE HANGAR THAT HAD WITNESSED THE EVENT. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCED ANY INJURIES. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AIRCRAFT AT REST ON THE RUNWAY AND A BRIEF WRITTEN REPORT WERE PROVIDED BY THE AUGUSTA AIRPORT MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR.

ON APRIL 23, 2019, THE IIC PROVIDED THE PILOT WITH AN FAA COMPLIANCE PHILOSOPHY BROCHURE PRIOR TO DISCUSSING THE EVENT. ON MAY 6, 2019, DURING QUESTIONING FROM THE IIC, THE AIRMAN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE TECHNIQUE USED IN WHICH HE ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT THE FLAPS TO REDUCE THE GROUND ROLL IS NOT PART OF AN APPROVED PROCEDURE IN THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL/PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK.

THIS OPERATION AND THE RESULTANT INCIDENT REPRESENT A PILOT ERROR IN THE FORM OF A CARELESS ACT AND THEREFORE REPRESENT A POTENTIAL REGULATORY NON-COMPLIANCE WITH 14 CFR 91.13(A).

THE PILOT WAS VERY COOPERATIVE THROUGHOUT THE INVESTIGATION AND A DETERMINATION WAS MADE TO RECOMMEND THE PILOT FOR A COMPLIANCE ACTION IN THE FORM OF REMEDIAL TRAINING (RT) IN ORDER TO MITIGATE FUTURE RISK OF RECURRENCE OF A SIMILAR ACTION.