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20200222009269I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech A36 · Wheeling, IL · February 22, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 22, 2020 · 12:25 local
Place
Wheeling, IL
Airport
Chicago Executive
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N495GC
Reported as
Beech A36
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,235 total608 in this make and model14 in the last 90 days
N495GCRegistered now · Beech A36S/N E-1876 · Built 1981Airframe modelBeech A36Engine modelContinental IO-520 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.

Aircraft suffered minor damage to landing gear components, and struck a runway light when the aircraft exited runway 16 into the grass in crosswind conditions.

On February 22, 2020 the pilot in command of a BE36 N495GC made a reportedly normal touch down on runway 16 at Chicago Executive Airport. The pilot reported a strong gust was experienced during rollout, and the aircraft lurched to the right. The pilot attempted to apply left rudder and discovered that he was not able to exert full control authority. The pilot reported that the seat was not positioned forward enough to exert the rudder to the stop. N495GC exited off the right side of the runway, struck a runway light with the left main landing gear door and then taxied back onto the runway.

At the time the pilot did not know the aircraft had struck the runway light. Believing there was no damage, the pilot taxied N495GC to the hangar. Once the aircraft was in the hangar the pilot was able to ascertain that there was minor damage to the landing gear. Airport operations at Chicago Executive then inspected the runway and discovered the damaged runway light.

The pilot had an A&P technician evaluate the aircraft. The parts that were damaged will be replaced.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE TO LANDING GEAR COMPONENTS, AND STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT EXITED RUNWAY 16 INTO THE GRASS IN CROSSWIND CONDITIONS.

ON FEBRUARY 22, 2020 THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF A BE36 N495GC MADE A REPORTEDLY NORMAL TOUCH DOWN ON RUNWAY 16 AT CHICAGO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED A STRONG GUST WAS EXPERIENCED DURING ROLLOUT, AND THE AIRCRAFT LURCHED TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO APPLY LEFT RUDDER AND DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO EXERT FULL CONTROL AUTHORITY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE SEAT WAS NOT POSITIONED FORWARD ENOUGH TO EXERT THE RUDDER TO THE STOP. N495GC EXITED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT WITH THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR DOOR AND THEN TAXIED BACK ONTO THE RUNWAY.

AT THE TIME THE PILOT DID NOT KNOW THE AIRCRAFT HAD STRUCK THE RUNWAY LIGHT. BELIEVING THERE WAS NO DAMAGE, THE PILOT TAXIED N495GC TO THE HANGAR. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE HANGAR THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO ASCERTAIN THAT THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR. AIRPORT OPERATIONS AT CHICAGO EXECUTIVE THEN INSPECTED THE RUNWAY AND DISCOVERED THE DAMAGED RUNWAY LIGHT.

THE PILOT HAD AN A&P TECHNICIAN EVALUATE THE AIRCRAFT. THE PARTS THAT WERE DAMAGED WILL BE REPLACED.