What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2021-10-20 N3759Q landed at khcd airport with partial gear extension and slid down rwy 33.
Beech bonanza N3759Q took off from owatonna, MN (kowa) at 0919L. Data pulled from the G2 insight system on board showed that voltage after startup was 10.8 volts. This voltage never rose, it showed a dip to 10.0 volts for 8 seconds when the gear was cycled up after takeoff, then returned to 10.6. 11 minutes after takeoff at 0930L adsb out data was no longer seen. 13 minutes after takeoff voltage had drained down to 9.8 volts, at that point the G2 insight stopped providing data.
In the cockpit around this time the PIC experienced the autopilot kicking off and flashing avionics screens. The autopilot could not be reengaged. The PIC made the decision to land at the next airport along the route, Hutchinson (khcd). The PIC put the gear handle down and the red gear up light went out, however, the green gear down light did not illuminate, and all screens went black in the cockpit. There is a mechanical tape that shows nose gear position, the PIC stated he checked that. However, when asked what he would see on this indicator he stated a green indication. A black "dn" is the indication. The PIC attempted to lower the flaps they did not go down.
Crossing the threshold the aircraft hit 6 seagulls, they did not damage the aircraft, and then it landed immediately showing scraping scars. The main tires appeared to be extended 6 inches at a 15 degree angle, not spinning but riding and wearing through the inside of the partially opened gear doors. The nose gears were open, but did not immediately tear off nor did the prop immediately strike the ground. This is consistent with a partial extension, with the mains where they were the nose wheel would be about 6 inches below the cowling, initially keeping the nose gear doors elevated an inch or two above the pavement. As the aircraft slowed the weight collapsed the nose gear, prop strikes occurred, and nose gear doors were tore off. The mains also settled a couple inches, but did not collapse. This reverse force caused bending and damage to the control rods used for gear extension/retraction.
The discussion of aircraft systems with the pilot exposed some confusion. The FAA asked the pilot how his landing gear system was driven, to which he responded hydraulically. This gear system is driven by an electrical motor moving mechanical linkages. When asked about how he checks voltage, the PIC referenced the ammeter multiple times. The ammeter shows amp charge/discharge not volts. He was unaware that the G2 insight system digitally displayed current voltage.
Checklists used in the cockpit by the PIC were reviewed and compared to those in the POH. The homemade checklist drove action without verification; I.e. "alternator-on" compared with the POH "alternator-on verify charge". The gouge checklist had an emergency section, but emergency landing gear extension was not on it. In the POH this procedure is spelled out. This aircraft had a perfectly good manual gear extension option that was not executed.
The PIC was counseled that even though he only owned this aircraft for a few months, he has a responsibility to understand the systems. Additionally understanding "why" things are done on the checklist, and "what" are the tools we have to verify data we are receiving as PIC was also covered.
As the FAA filed it
2021-10-20 N3759Q LANDED AT KHCD AIRPORT WITH PARTIAL GEAR EXTENSION AND SLID DOWN RWY 33.
BEECH BONANZA N3759Q TOOK OFF FROM OWATONNA, MN (KOWA) AT 0919L. DATA PULLED FROM THE G2 INSIGHT SYSTEM ON BOARD SHOWED THAT VOLTAGE AFTER STARTUP WAS 10.8 VOLTS. THIS VOLTAGE NEVER ROSE, IT SHOWED A DIP TO 10.0 VOLTS FOR 8 SECONDS WHEN THE GEAR WAS CYCLED UP AFTER TAKEOFF, THEN RETURNED TO 10.6. 11 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF AT 0930L ADSB OUT DATA WAS NO LONGER SEEN. 13 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF VOLTAGE HAD DRAINED DOWN TO 9.8 VOLTS, AT THAT POINT THE G2 INSIGHT STOPPED PROVIDING DATA.
IN THE COCKPIT AROUND THIS TIME THE PIC EXPERIENCED THE AUTOPILOT KICKING OFF AND FLASHING AVIONICS SCREENS. THE AUTOPILOT COULD NOT BE REENGAGED. THE PIC MADE THE DECISION TO LAND AT THE NEXT AIRPORT ALONG THE ROUTE, HUTCHINSON (KHCD). THE PIC PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN AND THE RED GEAR UP LIGHT WENT OUT, HOWEVER, THE GREEN GEAR DOWN LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE, AND ALL SCREENS WENT BLACK IN THE COCKPIT. THERE IS A MECHANICAL TAPE THAT SHOWS NOSE GEAR POSITION, THE PIC STATED HE CHECKED THAT. HOWEVER, WHEN ASKED WHAT HE WOULD SEE ON THIS INDICATOR HE STATED A GREEN INDICATION. A BLACK "DN" IS THE INDICATION. THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE FLAPS THEY DID NOT GO DOWN.
CROSSING THE THRESHOLD THE AIRCRAFT HIT 6 SEAGULLS, THEY DID NOT DAMAGE THE AIRCRAFT, AND THEN IT LANDED IMMEDIATELY SHOWING SCRAPING SCARS. THE MAIN TIRES APPEARED TO BE EXTENDED 6 INCHES AT A 15 DEGREE ANGLE, NOT SPINNING BUT RIDING AND WEARING THROUGH THE INSIDE OF THE PARTIALLY OPENED GEAR DOORS. THE NOSE GEARS WERE OPEN, BUT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY TEAR OFF NOR DID THE PROP IMMEDIATELY STRIKE THE GROUND. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH A PARTIAL EXTENSION, WITH THE MAINS WHERE THEY WERE THE NOSE WHEEL WOULD BE ABOUT 6 INCHES BELOW THE COWLING, INITIALLY KEEPING THE NOSE GEAR DOORS ELEVATED AN INCH OR TWO ABOVE THE PAVEMENT. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED THE WEIGHT COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR, PROP STRIKES OCCURRED, AND NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE TORE OFF. THE MAINS ALSO SETTLED A COUPLE INCHES, BUT DID NOT COLLAPSE. THIS REVERSE FORCE CAUSED BENDING AND DAMAGE TO THE CONTROL RODS USED FOR GEAR EXTENSION/RETRACTION.
THE DISCUSSION OF AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS WITH THE PILOT EXPOSED SOME CONFUSION. THE FAA ASKED THE PILOT HOW HIS LANDING GEAR SYSTEM WAS DRIVEN, TO WHICH HE RESPONDED HYDRAULICALLY. THIS GEAR SYSTEM IS DRIVEN BY AN ELECTRICAL MOTOR MOVING MECHANICAL LINKAGES. WHEN ASKED ABOUT HOW HE CHECKS VOLTAGE, THE PIC REFERENCED THE AMMETER MULTIPLE TIMES. THE AMMETER SHOWS AMP CHARGE/DISCHARGE NOT VOLTS. HE WAS UNAWARE THAT THE G2 INSIGHT SYSTEM DIGITALLY DISPLAYED CURRENT VOLTAGE.
CHECKLISTS USED IN THE COCKPIT BY THE PIC WERE REVIEWED AND COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE POH. THE HOMEMADE CHECKLIST DROVE ACTION WITHOUT VERIFICATION; I.E. "ALTERNATOR-ON" COMPARED WITH THE POH "ALTERNATOR-ON VERIFY CHARGE". THE GOUGE CHECKLIST HAD AN EMERGENCY SECTION, BUT EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION WAS NOT ON IT. IN THE POH THIS PROCEDURE IS SPELLED OUT. THIS AIRCRAFT HAD A PERFECTLY GOOD MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION OPTION THAT WAS NOT EXECUTED.
THE PIC WAS COUNSELED THAT EVEN THOUGH HE ONLY OWNED THIS AIRCRAFT FOR A FEW MONTHS, HE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEMS. ADDITIONALLY UNDERSTANDING "WHY" THINGS ARE DONE ON THE CHECKLIST, AND "WHAT" ARE THE TOOLS WE HAVE TO VERIFY DATA WE ARE RECEIVING AS PIC WAS ALSO COVERED.