20200309007089I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech A36 · Fairbanks, AK · March 9, 2020

Date: March 9, 2020 · 16:35 local
Place: Fairbanks, AK
Airport: Fairbanks
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: HYTA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2043X
Reported as: Beech A36
Reported engine: Continental IO-520 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,060 total184 in this make and model224 in the last 90 days

N2043XRegistered now · Beech A36S/N E-1387 · Built 1978 Airframe modelBeech A36 Engine 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.

The airman landed on runway 2R at Fairbanks international airport. During the landing roll and as the airplane slowed down the airman accidentally lifted the landing gear handle instead of the flap handle. The gear warning horn sounded as the airplane sank to the runway and skidded to a stop. The airman filed an asap report that was accepted. The company is putting the airman through a ground training session and simulator session.

The flap handle and the gear knob are located in reverse order form the standard placement. The flap handle is slightly hidden behind the yoke which is the normal location of the landing gear knob. In addition the flap handle works similar to the gear handle where you need a slight pull and lift to actuate the flaps.

A study by the NTSB revealed that this airplane had a substantial increase in gear up landings due to the location of the flap handle. Along with having similar characteristics of the landing gear handle.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRMAN LANDED ON RUNWAY 2R AT FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. DURING THE LANDING ROLL AND AS THE AIRPLANE SLOWED DOWN THE AIRMAN ACCIDENTALLY LIFTED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE INSTEAD OF THE FLAP HANDLE. THE GEAR WARNING HORN SOUNDED AS THE AIRPLANE SANK TO THE RUNWAY AND SKIDDED TO A STOP. THE AIRMAN FILED AN ASAP REPORT THAT WAS ACCEPTED. THE COMPANY IS PUTTING THE AIRMAN THROUGH A GROUND TRAINING SESSION AND SIMULATOR SESSION.

THE FLAP HANDLE AND THE GEAR KNOB ARE LOCATED IN REVERSE ORDER FORM THE STANDARD PLACEMENT. THE FLAP HANDLE IS SLIGHTLY HIDDEN BEHIND THE YOKE WHICH IS THE NORMAL LOCATION OF THE LANDING GEAR KNOB. IN ADDITION THE FLAP HANDLE WORKS SIMILAR TO THE GEAR HANDLE WHERE YOU NEED A SLIGHT PULL AND LIFT TO ACTUATE THE FLAPS.

A STUDY BY THE NTSB REVEALED THAT THIS AIRPLANE HAD A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN GEAR UP LANDINGS DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE FLAP HANDLE. ALONG WITH HAVING SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE.

Other reports on N2043X · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19881211063979ITo Aborted (Fixed Wing) · Fairbanks, AKAborted takeoff because aircraft did not respond normally. Slid off end of runway into a snow bank.Dec 11, 1988 Incident 19850505024279IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Indian Mountain, AKDuring taxi to ramp passengers clipboard hit gear switch causing collapse.May 5, 1985 · Minor damage