What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 07, 2022 at approximately 5:35PM EDT, privacy data omitted experienced a gear collapse landing at the Savannah/Hilton Head international airport (ksav) located in Savannah, Georgia causing minor damage with one person on board and no injuries. privacy data omitted, A 1975 Beech V35B, sn D-9737 was being operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
On June 07, 2022 at approximately 5.550PM EDT an inspector from the atlanta flight standards district office was contacted by the regional operations center and notified of the situation and damage. The FAA inspector gave the okay to move the aircraft off the runway to Savannah aviation due to the minor damage and no injuries and to reposition the aircraft to a safer location until an FAA inspector could arrive on Tuesday June 14, 2022.
On June 14, 2022 an inspector from the atlanta FSDO arrived on scene at the Savannah/Hilton Head international airport to conduct an investigation as to why a gear collapse landing occurred during a standard landing. The FAA inspector requested the privacy data omitted maintenance to perform a gear swing. Upon assessing the aircraft it became apparent that a gear swing would be impossible due to broken landing gear components. An assessment of the damage revealed the propeller had struck the ground, the nose gear doors had damage, the right main gear had collapsed damaging the right wing tip and the left main stayed in the down position. An examination of the nose gear doors showed evidence of minor damage and being in the open position. The right main gear which collapsed showed evidence of a possible out of sequence/improper gear and gear door position. An interview was conducted with Savannah aviation?s maintenance department who stated upon preliminary inspection multiple gear components were broken possibly due to a malfunction. The mechanic stated that it was impossible to do a gear swing and that there was no way to tell the extent of the damage without disassembly. On June 21, 2022 an inspector contacted Savannah aviation to inform them the aircraft has been released for repairs with the understanding that they will keep the inspector informed of the findings. The aircraft was up to date on all annual inspections and all airworthiness directives had been accomplished.
A phone interview was conducted with the pilot shortly after the incident. The pilot stated that during his decent the tower requested him to circle around due to multiple air force F16 were landing. On his right down wind he configured the aircraft for landing, gear down and all three green lights illuminated. He was cleared to land behind two fighter jets and one behind him keeping his speed up because of the aircraft behind him. According to the pilot, he had a normal touch down and roll out for 50-100 yards and then the nose gear collapsed with no warning.
On June 21, 2022 a FAA inspector had a phone conversation with the Savannah/Hilton Head international airport operations manager who stated there is a security video of the incident. The operations manager stated the video shows all gear in the down position prior to touch down and it also shows the aircraft after touch down rolling out with all wheels touching the ground. On June 22, 2022 the FAA reviewed the video verifying the aircraft did in fact land with gear in the down position rolling out until out of view of the camera.
NTSB was initially involved but ultimately decided they will not investigate the incident and there is no NTSB case # assigned.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 07, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:35PM EDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPERIENCED A GEAR COLLAPSE LANDING AT THE SAVANNAH/HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KSAV) LOCATED IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE WITH ONE PERSON ON BOARD AND NO INJURIES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A 1975 BEECH V35B, SN D-9737 WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. DAY, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED.
ON JUNE 07, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 5.550PM EDT AN INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE WAS CONTACTED BY THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER AND NOTIFIED OF THE SITUATION AND DAMAGE. THE FAA INSPECTOR GAVE THE OKAY TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RUNWAY TO SAVANNAH AVIATION DUE TO THE MINOR DAMAGE AND NO INJURIES AND TO REPOSITION THE AIRCRAFT TO A SAFER LOCATION UNTIL AN FAA INSPECTOR COULD ARRIVE ON TUESDAY JUNE 14, 2022.
ON JUNE 14, 2022 AN INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO ARRIVED ON SCENE AT THE SAVANNAH/HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION AS TO WHY A GEAR COLLAPSE LANDING OCCURRED DURING A STANDARD LANDING. THE FAA INSPECTOR REQUESTED THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MAINTENANCE TO PERFORM A GEAR SWING. UPON ASSESSING THE AIRCRAFT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT A GEAR SWING WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO BROKEN LANDING GEAR COMPONENTS. AN ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE REVEALED THE PROPELLER HAD STRUCK THE GROUND, THE NOSE GEAR DOORS HAD DAMAGE, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR HAD COLLAPSED DAMAGING THE RIGHT WING TIP AND THE LEFT MAIN STAYED IN THE DOWN POSITION. AN EXAMINATION OF THE NOSE GEAR DOORS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF MINOR DAMAGE AND BEING IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WHICH COLLAPSED SHOWED EVIDENCE OF A POSSIBLE OUT OF SEQUENCE/IMPROPER GEAR AND GEAR DOOR POSITION. AN INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH SAVANNAH AVIATION?S MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT WHO STATED UPON PRELIMINARY INSPECTION MULTIPLE GEAR COMPONENTS WERE BROKEN POSSIBLY DUE TO A MALFUNCTION. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO A GEAR SWING AND THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO TELL THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE WITHOUT DISASSEMBLY. ON JUNE 21, 2022 AN INSPECTOR CONTACTED SAVANNAH AVIATION TO INFORM THEM THE AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN RELEASED FOR REPAIRS WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WILL KEEP THE INSPECTOR INFORMED OF THE FINDINGS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS UP TO DATE ON ALL ANNUAL INSPECTIONS AND ALL AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
A PHONE INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE PILOT SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING HIS DECENT THE TOWER REQUESTED HIM TO CIRCLE AROUND DUE TO MULTIPLE AIR FORCE F16 WERE LANDING. ON HIS RIGHT DOWN WIND HE CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT FOR LANDING, GEAR DOWN AND ALL THREE GREEN LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. HE WAS CLEARED TO LAND BEHIND TWO FIGHTER JETS AND ONE BEHIND HIM KEEPING HIS SPEED UP BECAUSE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEHIND HIM. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD A NORMAL TOUCH DOWN AND ROLL OUT FOR 50-100 YARDS AND THEN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WITH NO WARNING.
ON JUNE 21, 2022 A FAA INSPECTOR HAD A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE SAVANNAH/HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OPERATIONS MANAGER WHO STATED THERE IS A SECURITY VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT. THE OPERATIONS MANAGER STATED THE VIDEO SHOWS ALL GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION PRIOR TO TOUCH DOWN AND IT ALSO SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT AFTER TOUCH DOWN ROLLING OUT WITH ALL WHEELS TOUCHING THE GROUND. ON JUNE 22, 2022 THE FAA REVIEWED THE VIDEO VERIFYING THE AIRCRAFT DID IN FACT LAND WITH GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION ROLLING OUT UNTIL OUT OF VIEW OF THE CAMERA.
NTSB WAS INITIALLY INVOLVED BUT ULTIMATELY DECIDED THEY WILL NOT INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT AND THERE IS NO NTSB CASE # ASSIGNED.