What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Inspector arrived at Solberg airport (N51) during the morning of August 2, 2021 for the investigation into the 07/30/2021 accident involving N44DB, a Beechcraft (Textron) K35 fixed-wing aircraft. Upon arrival, the aircraft was found stored inside the main airport hangar, where it was towed following the accident. Due to the substantial damage noted below, this has been classified as an accident by the airworthiness inspector. There were no reported injuries.
A continuity check of the primary flights controls determined that the flight control systems were all intact and maintained continuity between the cockpit controls and primary flight controls (elevator, aileron, and rudder). All engine controls were determined to be intact and functioning as well.
The aircraft brake system was visibly inspected and functionally checked, and found to be in a satisfactory condition.
Aircraft sustained substantial damage during the event, elevating this to an accident. Inspection of accident aircraft noted damage to, but not limited to, the following:
1. Left and right nose landing gear doors
2. Left and right lower engine cowl skins (primary structure)
3. Nose cowl skin
4. Engine experienced sudden-stoppage indicated by slash marks in accident path, and tip erosion and damage to propeller
There was one witness, privacy data omitted, who identified himself as the chief inspector for the airport?s maintenance facility. During interview, privacy data omitted stated that he heard the landing, but did not see the aircraft come to rest. He stated that he heard the normal ?chirp/chirp? Of the main tires touching down, followed by the scraping sound of the nose coming to rest on the runway. He looked outside to see the aircraft rolling with the tail up, but his view was blocked where it came to rest. He stated that he assisted with removal of the aircraft from the runway, and when the nose was lifted, the over-center link on the nose landing gear did not appear to be locking in place.
Investigation at the scene revealed tire marks, but not skid marks, and scraping from the aircraft nose cowl exiting the runway at approximately a 15 degree angle from centerline approximately 400 feet from the first propeller slash mark when the nose landing gear collapsed.
Investigation of the aircraft revealed nose landing gear reinforced in the extend position by a pry-bar clamped to the over-center mechanism. The retract push/pull tube rod-end at the idler arm forward of the aft nose landing hear bay bulkhead was found broken and detached from the idler arm. The surround structure and doubler was also found damaged.
As the FAA filed it
INSPECTOR ARRIVED AT SOLBERG AIRPORT (N51) DURING THE MORNING OF AUGUST 2, 2021 FOR THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE 07/30/2021 ACCIDENT INVOLVING N44DB, A BEECHCRAFT (TEXTRON) K35 FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT. UPON ARRIVAL, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND STORED INSIDE THE MAIN AIRPORT HANGAR, WHERE IT WAS TOWED FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT. DUE TO THE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE NOTED BELOW, THIS HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT BY THE AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES.
A CONTINUITY CHECK OF THE PRIMARY FLIGHTS CONTROLS DETERMINED THAT THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS WERE ALL INTACT AND MAINTAINED CONTINUITY BETWEEN THE COCKPIT CONTROLS AND PRIMARY FLIGHT CONTROLS (ELEVATOR, AILERON, AND RUDDER). ALL ENGINE CONTROLS WERE DETERMINED TO BE INTACT AND FUNCTIONING AS WELL.
THE AIRCRAFT BRAKE SYSTEM WAS VISIBLY INSPECTED AND FUNCTIONALLY CHECKED, AND FOUND TO BE IN A SATISFACTORY CONDITION.
AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING THE EVENT, ELEVATING THIS TO AN ACCIDENT. INSPECTION OF ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT NOTED DAMAGE TO, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING:
1. LEFT AND RIGHT NOSE LANDING GEAR DOORS
2. LEFT AND RIGHT LOWER ENGINE COWL SKINS (PRIMARY STRUCTURE)
3. NOSE COWL SKIN
4. ENGINE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN-STOPPAGE INDICATED BY SLASH MARKS IN ACCIDENT PATH, AND TIP EROSION AND DAMAGE TO PROPELLER
THERE WAS ONE WITNESS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS THE CHIEF INSPECTOR FOR THE AIRPORT?S MAINTENANCE FACILITY. DURING INTERVIEW, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE HEARD THE LANDING, BUT DID NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT COME TO REST. HE STATED THAT HE HEARD THE NORMAL ?CHIRP/CHIRP? OF THE MAIN TIRES TOUCHING DOWN, FOLLOWED BY THE SCRAPING SOUND OF THE NOSE COMING TO REST ON THE RUNWAY. HE LOOKED OUTSIDE TO SEE THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING WITH THE TAIL UP, BUT HIS VIEW WAS BLOCKED WHERE IT CAME TO REST. HE STATED THAT HE ASSISTED WITH REMOVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY, AND WHEN THE NOSE WAS LIFTED, THE OVER-CENTER LINK ON THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE LOCKING IN PLACE.
INVESTIGATION AT THE SCENE REVEALED TIRE MARKS, BUT NOT SKID MARKS, AND SCRAPING FROM THE AIRCRAFT NOSE COWL EXITING THE RUNWAY AT APPROXIMATELY A 15 DEGREE ANGLE FROM CENTERLINE APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET FROM THE FIRST PROPELLER SLASH MARK WHEN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED.
INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NOSE LANDING GEAR REINFORCED IN THE EXTEND POSITION BY A PRY-BAR CLAMPED TO THE OVER-CENTER MECHANISM. THE RETRACT PUSH/PULL TUBE ROD-END AT THE IDLER ARM FORWARD OF THE AFT NOSE LANDING HEAR BAY BULKHEAD WAS FOUND BROKEN AND DETACHED FROM THE IDLER ARM. THE SURROUND STRUCTURE AND DOUBLER WAS ALSO FOUND DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.