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20220525008659I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech 60 · Port Orange, FL · May 25, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 25, 2022 · 19:12 local
Place
Port Orange, FL
Airport
Spruce Creek Pvt
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N33LB
Reported as
Beech 60
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-541 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
6,400 total350 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N33LBRegistration cancelled Oct 21, 2023 · Beech 60S/N P-74 · Built 1969Airframe modelBeech 60Engine modelLycoming TI0-541 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.

At approximately 1912 EDT on may 25, 2022, N33LB experienced a gear collapse on runway 6 at Spruce Creek airport (private). Spruce Creek airport operations notified the FAA roc immediately following the event.

On may 29, 2022 the hired mechanic (IA) assessed the damage to the aircraft and determined that damage was limited to the props, landing gear, belly, and flaps of the aircraft. The resulting damage was considered to be caused by ground impact.

The PIC stated that prior to attempting to land, a "gear unsafe" indication was noticed. The pilot elected to depart the airport environment to begin running checklists. The checklist instructed the pilots to utilize the manual handcrank to lock the gear in the down position, by turning the handcrank 50 times. The pilot stated that after turning the handcrank the recommended 50 times, no change in the gear indication was noticed. The PIC turned the handcrank "an additional 250 times, with no change in indication noticed".

The PIC stated "a return to the departure airport commenced after notifying ground personnel of the situation and to observe the landing gear while a low approach was conducted to ascertain gear positioning. The low fly by resulted in the ground observers noticing that all three landing gear appeared to be down and in position. No green down and locked indications observed in the cockpit."

Upon landing, the PIC stated the following: "as the nose gear made contact with the runway it gave way and retracted into the nose gear area followed by the left main and propeller contact on the left side. Directional control was maintained by the PIC until the plane slowly began to turn left towards the left side of the runway at which point the nose was full down causing the right propeller to contact the ground. Near the edge of the runway the airplane stopped with a slight right side load which appeared to cause the right gear to collapse into the wheel well. "

The inspector in charge of the investigation was able to corroborate the flight activity and low pass by reviewing ADS-B data of the flight in question.

A review of pilot and aircraft qualifications was conducted to find no regulatory non-compliance.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 1912 EDT ON MAY 25, 2022, N33LB EXPERIENCED A GEAR COLLAPSE ON RUNWAY 6 AT SPRUCE CREEK AIRPORT (PRIVATE). SPRUCE CREEK AIRPORT OPERATIONS NOTIFIED THE FAA ROC IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE EVENT.

ON MAY 29, 2022 THE HIRED MECHANIC (IA) ASSESSED THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND DETERMINED THAT DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE PROPS, LANDING GEAR, BELLY, AND FLAPS OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE RESULTING DAMAGE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE CAUSED BY GROUND IMPACT.

THE PIC STATED THAT PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING TO LAND, A "GEAR UNSAFE" INDICATION WAS NOTICED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO DEPART THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT TO BEGIN RUNNING CHECKLISTS. THE CHECKLIST INSTRUCTED THE PILOTS TO UTILIZE THE MANUAL HANDCRANK TO LOCK THE GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION, BY TURNING THE HANDCRANK 50 TIMES. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER TURNING THE HANDCRANK THE RECOMMENDED 50 TIMES, NO CHANGE IN THE GEAR INDICATION WAS NOTICED. THE PIC TURNED THE HANDCRANK "AN ADDITIONAL 250 TIMES, WITH NO CHANGE IN INDICATION NOTICED".

THE PIC STATED "A RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT COMMENCED AFTER NOTIFYING GROUND PERSONNEL OF THE SITUATION AND TO OBSERVE THE LANDING GEAR WHILE A LOW APPROACH WAS CONDUCTED TO ASCERTAIN GEAR POSITIONING. THE LOW FLY BY RESULTED IN THE GROUND OBSERVERS NOTICING THAT ALL THREE LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN AND IN POSITION. NO GREEN DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATIONS OBSERVED IN THE COCKPIT."

UPON LANDING, THE PIC STATED THE FOLLOWING: "AS THE NOSE GEAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY IT GAVE WAY AND RETRACTED INTO THE NOSE GEAR AREA FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT MAIN AND PROPELLER CONTACT ON THE LEFT SIDE. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS MAINTAINED BY THE PIC UNTIL THE PLANE SLOWLY BEGAN TO TURN LEFT TOWARDS THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT WHICH POINT THE NOSE WAS FULL DOWN CAUSING THE RIGHT PROPELLER TO CONTACT THE GROUND. NEAR THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY THE AIRPLANE STOPPED WITH A SLIGHT RIGHT SIDE LOAD WHICH APPEARED TO CAUSE THE RIGHT GEAR TO COLLAPSE INTO THE WHEEL WELL. "

THE INSPECTOR IN CHARGE OF THE INVESTIGATION WAS ABLE TO CORROBORATE THE FLIGHT ACTIVITY AND LOW PASS BY REVIEWING ADS-B DATA OF THE FLIGHT IN QUESTION.

A REVIEW OF PILOT AND AIRCRAFT QUALIFICATIONS WAS CONDUCTED TO FIND NO REGULATORY NON-COMPLIANCE.