What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Departed K6M2 horseshoe bend ar at approx. 6:15PM. On departure pilot stated "gear up light did not come on and smelled a burning smell. The circuit breaker for the gear up motor popped."
Pilot reset c/b and tried to extend the gear. Same result. No gear down indication and c/b popped again.
Pilot then attempted a manual emergency gear extension. The gear down indication did not illuminate.
Pilot requested a visual flyby at jonesboro kjbr. The CTAF controller agreed. Ground observer indicated "no good" after fly by. CTAF controller explained "left MLG was partially deployed at approx. 45 degrees. NLG and right MLG appeared to be fully down.
Pilot attempted some maneuvers to try and get the gear to come down that did not work.
Pilot headed towards Memphis int. For bigger runway and crash/fire/rescue and mx services.
Pilot declared an emergency with Memphis center and landed the aircraft on 18 center.
Pilot held left wing off the ground as long as possible then the wing dragged on the pitot tube and the flap trailing edge. The aircraft pivoted approx. 180DEGREES and stopped.
Pilot evacuated and was uninjured
Aircraft was hoisted and the left gear had to be pulled down but would not lock. Recovery team strapped the gear to keep it from collapsing and towed the aircraft to a parking spot at wilson air center.
Initial investigation shows minor damage. Pitot tube ground down and left wing flap trailing edge sheet metal damage from dragging on the runway.
Wheel well rib cracked. Landing gear torque tube was bent on the left gear.
FAA inspectors could not do any further gear investigation until the aircraft was jacked.
Once aircraft was jacked investigators found the bent torque tube in the left MLG extremely loose. The torque tube would rotate by hand and the b nuts on both ends were loose. The rod end of the torque tube connecting to the gear had excessive play at the bushing. The self locking nut on the rod end connecting point was backed off and able to be removed by hand. The left landing gear over center linkage would not go over center to the down lock position. Overall significant play was found in multiple gear linkages.
The loose and bent torque tube seems to be the reason the gear would not go all the way up or come back down when attempting to cycle the gear after takeoff. The gear motor seems to have stalled out after it got hot causing the c/b to pop.
Investigators inspected the mx log book and found the annual insp had been signed off July, 21, 2021 and that gear work had been done.
First entry on page 66 of the logbook dated 7/21/21 showed that the landing gear conduits had been replaced.
Second entry on page 66 dated 7/21/21 stated that the NLG and the left MLG limit switches were replaced.
Third entry on page 66 dated 7/21/21 states that a runup test and flight with 2 landings by the owner were done and that the mechanic sat right seat
Fourth and last entry on page 66 dated 7/21/21 stated annual checked, ad's checked, ELT changed, changed conduits and NLG + lmg limit switches. Ground run up, test flight 2 in the pattern. This aircraft is airworthy to the best of my ability.
There is no specific sign off stating that the landing gear was checked on the ground after replacing parts. And it can only be assumed that they cycled the gear on the test flight as there is no specific statement saying that it was done.
As the FAA filed it
DEPARTED K6M2 HORSESHOE BEND AR AT APPROX. 6:15PM. ON DEPARTURE PILOT STATED "GEAR UP LIGHT DID NOT COME ON AND SMELLED A BURNING SMELL. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE GEAR UP MOTOR POPPED."
PILOT RESET C/B AND TRIED TO EXTEND THE GEAR. SAME RESULT. NO GEAR DOWN INDICATION AND C/B POPPED AGAIN.
PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED A MANUAL EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION. THE GEAR DOWN INDICATION DID NOT ILLUMINATE.
PILOT REQUESTED A VISUAL FLYBY AT JONESBORO KJBR. THE CTAF CONTROLLER AGREED. GROUND OBSERVER INDICATED "NO GOOD" AFTER FLY BY. CTAF CONTROLLER EXPLAINED "LEFT MLG WAS PARTIALLY DEPLOYED AT APPROX. 45 DEGREES. NLG AND RIGHT MLG APPEARED TO BE FULLY DOWN.
PILOT ATTEMPTED SOME MANEUVERS TO TRY AND GET THE GEAR TO COME DOWN THAT DID NOT WORK.
PILOT HEADED TOWARDS MEMPHIS INT. FOR BIGGER RUNWAY AND CRASH/FIRE/RESCUE AND MX SERVICES.
PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH MEMPHIS CENTER AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON 18 CENTER.
PILOT HELD LEFT WING OFF THE GROUND AS LONG AS POSSIBLE THEN THE WING DRAGGED ON THE PITOT TUBE AND THE FLAP TRAILING EDGE. THE AIRCRAFT PIVOTED APPROX. 180DEGREES AND STOPPED.
PILOT EVACUATED AND WAS UNINJURED
AIRCRAFT WAS HOISTED AND THE LEFT GEAR HAD TO BE PULLED DOWN BUT WOULD NOT LOCK. RECOVERY TEAM STRAPPED THE GEAR TO KEEP IT FROM COLLAPSING AND TOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO A PARKING SPOT AT WILSON AIR CENTER.
INITIAL INVESTIGATION SHOWS MINOR DAMAGE. PITOT TUBE GROUND DOWN AND LEFT WING FLAP TRAILING EDGE SHEET METAL DAMAGE FROM DRAGGING ON THE RUNWAY.
WHEEL WELL RIB CRACKED. LANDING GEAR TORQUE TUBE WAS BENT ON THE LEFT GEAR.
FAA INSPECTORS COULD NOT DO ANY FURTHER GEAR INVESTIGATION UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WAS JACKED.
ONCE AIRCRAFT WAS JACKED INVESTIGATORS FOUND THE BENT TORQUE TUBE IN THE LEFT MLG EXTREMELY LOOSE. THE TORQUE TUBE WOULD ROTATE BY HAND AND THE B NUTS ON BOTH ENDS WERE LOOSE. THE ROD END OF THE TORQUE TUBE CONNECTING TO THE GEAR HAD EXCESSIVE PLAY AT THE BUSHING. THE SELF LOCKING NUT ON THE ROD END CONNECTING POINT WAS BACKED OFF AND ABLE TO BE REMOVED BY HAND. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR OVER CENTER LINKAGE WOULD NOT GO OVER CENTER TO THE DOWN LOCK POSITION. OVERALL SIGNIFICANT PLAY WAS FOUND IN MULTIPLE GEAR LINKAGES.
THE LOOSE AND BENT TORQUE TUBE SEEMS TO BE THE REASON THE GEAR WOULD NOT GO ALL THE WAY UP OR COME BACK DOWN WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CYCLE THE GEAR AFTER TAKEOFF. THE GEAR MOTOR SEEMS TO HAVE STALLED OUT AFTER IT GOT HOT CAUSING THE C/B TO POP.
INVESTIGATORS INSPECTED THE MX LOG BOOK AND FOUND THE ANNUAL INSP HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF JULY, 21, 2021 AND THAT GEAR WORK HAD BEEN DONE.
FIRST ENTRY ON PAGE 66 OF THE LOGBOOK DATED 7/21/21 SHOWED THAT THE LANDING GEAR CONDUITS HAD BEEN REPLACED.
SECOND ENTRY ON PAGE 66 DATED 7/21/21 STATED THAT THE NLG AND THE LEFT MLG LIMIT SWITCHES WERE REPLACED.
THIRD ENTRY ON PAGE 66 DATED 7/21/21 STATES THAT A RUNUP TEST AND FLIGHT WITH 2 LANDINGS BY THE OWNER WERE DONE AND THAT THE MECHANIC SAT RIGHT SEAT
FOURTH AND LAST ENTRY ON PAGE 66 DATED 7/21/21 STATED ANNUAL CHECKED, AD'S CHECKED, ELT CHANGED, CHANGED CONDUITS AND NLG + LMG LIMIT SWITCHES. GROUND RUN UP, TEST FLIGHT 2 IN THE PATTERN. THIS AIRCRAFT IS AIRWORTHY TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
THERE IS NO SPECIFIC SIGN OFF STATING THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS CHECKED ON THE GROUND AFTER REPLACING PARTS. AND IT CAN ONLY BE ASSUMED THAT THEY CYCLED THE GEAR ON THE TEST FLIGHT AS THERE IS NO SPECIFIC STATEMENT SAYING THAT IT WAS DONE.
Other reports on N180BC · 2
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