What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On aug 25, 2019 a Cessna 425 conquest departed from wiley post airport (pwa), Bethany, Oklahoma. After becoming airborne with the landing gear up, the pilot began to experience loss of flight control with the aircraft rolling left and right alternately. The pilot decided to immediately land the aircraft on the remaining runway; however, he did not have time to deploy the landing gear. The aircraft landed with landing gear up skidding along runway 17L and eventually coming to rest in the grass after running over a number of airport runway lights as well as a portion of the PAPI lighting system. Damage was sustained to the entire underside of the aircraft as well as severe ground strike damage to both propellers. The pilot was uninjured. Post-accident interview and statement by the pilot indicated that he had completed the required ground checklists including an auto feather test and engine power run up with no abnormalities noted. He was then cleared for takeoff by ATC. The pilot reported the takeoff roll as smooth and normal with all aircraft gauges in the green. At aircraft rotation and after confirming a positive rate of climb, the pilot raised the landing gear, and he confirmed it was up and locked. At this point, the aircraft suddenly yawed to the left with a slight drop of the left wing followed by a yaw to the right. This sequence then repeated itself except this became progressively a more pronounced yaw to the right. The pilot then concluded directional control of the aircraft was no longer possible and decided to abort the takeoff. The aircraft landed on the runway with gear up as there was not time to deploy the landing gear. The pilot also noted that the auto feather function was armed but it did not engage. A post-accident visual inspection of the flight control and rigging system did not reveal any obvious defects or range of travel issues. Additionally, both aircraft engines were also visually inspected by a pratt & whitney service representative with no obvious defects noted. This report is submitted based upon factual information known at the time of this report and is subject to amendment should additional pertinent information be received from the NTSB.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUG 25, 2019 A CESSNA 425 CONQUEST DEPARTED FROM WILEY POST AIRPORT (PWA), BETHANY, OKLAHOMA. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE WITH THE LANDING GEAR UP, THE PILOT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE LOSS OF FLIGHT CONTROL WITH THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING LEFT AND RIGHT ALTERNATELY. THE PILOT DECIDED TO IMMEDIATELY LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY; HOWEVER, HE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DEPLOY THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH LANDING GEAR UP SKIDDING ALONG RUNWAY 17L AND EVENTUALLY COMING TO REST IN THE GRASS AFTER RUNNING OVER A NUMBER OF AIRPORT RUNWAY LIGHTS AS WELL AS A PORTION OF THE PAPI LIGHTING SYSTEM. DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE ENTIRE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AS WELL AS SEVERE GROUND STRIKE DAMAGE TO BOTH PROPELLERS. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED. POST-ACCIDENT INTERVIEW AND STATEMENT BY THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE HAD COMPLETED THE REQUIRED GROUND CHECKLISTS INCLUDING AN AUTO FEATHER TEST AND ENGINE POWER RUN UP WITH NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED. HE WAS THEN CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF BY ATC. THE PILOT REPORTED THE TAKEOFF ROLL AS SMOOTH AND NORMAL WITH ALL AIRCRAFT GAUGES IN THE GREEN. AT AIRCRAFT ROTATION AND AFTER CONFIRMING A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB, THE PILOT RAISED THE LANDING GEAR, AND HE CONFIRMED IT WAS UP AND LOCKED. AT THIS POINT, THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY YAWED TO THE LEFT WITH A SLIGHT DROP OF THE LEFT WING FOLLOWED BY A YAW TO THE RIGHT. THIS SEQUENCE THEN REPEATED ITSELF EXCEPT THIS BECAME PROGRESSIVELY A MORE PRONOUNCED YAW TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT THEN CONCLUDED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS NO LONGER POSSIBLE AND DECIDED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE RUNWAY WITH GEAR UP AS THERE WAS NOT TIME TO DEPLOY THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT ALSO NOTED THAT THE AUTO FEATHER FUNCTION WAS ARMED BUT IT DID NOT ENGAGE. A POST-ACCIDENT VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL AND RIGGING SYSTEM DID NOT REVEAL ANY OBVIOUS DEFECTS OR RANGE OF TRAVEL ISSUES. ADDITIONALLY, BOTH AIRCRAFT ENGINES WERE ALSO VISUALLY INSPECTED BY A PRATT & WHITNEY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WITH NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS NOTED. THIS REPORT IS SUBMITTED BASED UPON FACTUAL INFORMATION KNOWN AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT AND IS SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT SHOULD ADDITIONAL PERTINENT INFORMATION BE RECEIVED FROM THE NTSB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.