What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 13, 2019 at 16:15 eastern daylight time, a Beechcraft BE65 queen air aircraft, N5078G, registered to and operated by a commercial air taxi service, received minor damage during a gear up landing at Charlevoix municipal airport (cvx), Charlevoix, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The air taxi flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 135 with a company flight plan. The pilot and 8 passengers were not injured. The local flight originated from the beaver island airport (sjx), beaver island, Michigan at 15:45L
According to the pilot, while on climb-out from runway 27 at beaver island, he raised the dash mounted landing gear switch and approximately 5 seconds later a bang was heard in the nose of the aircraft. The pilot noticed the gear indicator lights showed the nose gear in an unsafe condition. The pilot notified his office of the situation by radio and continued to fly to cvx (a 10 minute flight). Observers on the ground at cvx told the pilot the nose gear was hanging at a 45 degree angle out of the gear well. The pilot cycled the landing gear to assess the situation while fire and medical crews responded to the airport. During the gear extension all three gear indicators appeared in an unsafe condition. The pilot then attempted to manually lower the gear but found it jammed. The pilot briefed all passengers and a landing was initiated. On final approach both engines were secured and fuel turned off with both main gear partially deployed and the nose gear remaining at a 45 degree angle. At touchdown, the aircraft settled on to the main gear tires and, as the nose came down, both main gear collapsed. Both wind milling propellers struck the runway surface as the aircraft came to rest on the main landing gear doors and the partially deployed nose gear tire on the runway centerline. All aircraft systems were shut down and egress was made from the aircraft unassisted.
Shortly after the incident, a crane was used to lift the aircraft while mechanics lowered and manually secured all three landing gear. The aircraft was then towed from the runway and secured in the owner?s hangar.
Investigation revealed a broken clevis on the nose gear actuator. During the gear cycle, the broken end of the actuator rotated down while the nose gear swung freely. Upon gear extension, the end of the actuator wedged against a bulkhead within the gear well restricting the deployment of all other gear actuators. It was further determined the location of the clevis break was located internally to the actuator shaft and would not have been visible during normal inspection procedures.
An on-line service difficulty report has been submitted by this office.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 AT 16:15 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECHCRAFT BE65 QUEEN AIR AIRCRAFT, N5078G, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL AIR TAXI SERVICE, RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE DURING A GEAR UP LANDING AT CHARLEVOIX MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (CVX), CHARLEVOIX, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE AIR TAXI FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 135 WITH A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND 8 PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE BEAVER ISLAND AIRPORT (SJX), BEAVER ISLAND, MICHIGAN AT 15:45L
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE ON CLIMB-OUT FROM RUNWAY 27 AT BEAVER ISLAND, HE RAISED THE DASH MOUNTED LANDING GEAR SWITCH AND APPROXIMATELY 5 SECONDS LATER A BANG WAS HEARD IN THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT NOTICED THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS SHOWED THE NOSE GEAR IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION. THE PILOT NOTIFIED HIS OFFICE OF THE SITUATION BY RADIO AND CONTINUED TO FLY TO CVX (A 10 MINUTE FLIGHT). OBSERVERS ON THE GROUND AT CVX TOLD THE PILOT THE NOSE GEAR WAS HANGING AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE OUT OF THE GEAR WELL. THE PILOT CYCLED THE LANDING GEAR TO ASSESS THE SITUATION WHILE FIRE AND MEDICAL CREWS RESPONDED TO THE AIRPORT. DURING THE GEAR EXTENSION ALL THREE GEAR INDICATORS APPEARED IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION. THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY LOWER THE GEAR BUT FOUND IT JAMMED. THE PILOT BRIEFED ALL PASSENGERS AND A LANDING WAS INITIATED. ON FINAL APPROACH BOTH ENGINES WERE SECURED AND FUEL TURNED OFF WITH BOTH MAIN GEAR PARTIALLY DEPLOYED AND THE NOSE GEAR REMAINING AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. AT TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON TO THE MAIN GEAR TIRES AND, AS THE NOSE CAME DOWN, BOTH MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. BOTH WIND MILLING PROPELLERS STRUCK THE RUNWAY SURFACE AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR DOORS AND THE PARTIALLY DEPLOYED NOSE GEAR TIRE ON THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. ALL AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS WERE SHUT DOWN AND EGRESS WAS MADE FROM THE AIRCRAFT UNASSISTED.
SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT, A CRANE WAS USED TO LIFT THE AIRCRAFT WHILE MECHANICS LOWERED AND MANUALLY SECURED ALL THREE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN TOWED FROM THE RUNWAY AND SECURED IN THE OWNER?S HANGAR.
INVESTIGATION REVEALED A BROKEN CLEVIS ON THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR. DURING THE GEAR CYCLE, THE BROKEN END OF THE ACTUATOR ROTATED DOWN WHILE THE NOSE GEAR SWUNG FREELY. UPON GEAR EXTENSION, THE END OF THE ACTUATOR WEDGED AGAINST A BULKHEAD WITHIN THE GEAR WELL RESTRICTING THE DEPLOYMENT OF ALL OTHER GEAR ACTUATORS. IT WAS FURTHER DETERMINED THE LOCATION OF THE CLEVIS BREAK WAS LOCATED INTERNALLY TO THE ACTUATOR SHAFT AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN VISIBLE DURING NORMAL INSPECTION PROCEDURES.
AN ON-LINE SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED BY THIS OFFICE.
Other reports on N5078G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.