What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 4/25/2023 I was notified of an aircraft that ran off the runway at kblv Scott air force base, Belleville, IL. The incident occurred approximately 9:15AM. The aircraft was a Beechcraft V35B with retractable gear. The pilot was flying IFR from springfield-robertson county airport (M91) springfield TN. He was cleared to land on 14L on kblv. When the pilot lowered his landing gear approximately 3 miles out, he noticed that the left gear lamp was not illuminated. He cycled the gear again with the same result. He notified the tower, and they responded that the gear appeared to be down. The pilot landed, trying to hold the left wing from settling as long as he could, with full flaps. As soon as the weight settled on the left land gear, the aircraft continued approximately 5-10 feet, then the wing started to drop. He heard metal grinding on the runway and the aircraft immediately pulled to the left. He went off the runway and slid approximately 50 feet in the grass. The pilot was not injured. I inspected the aircraft that afternoon after it had been moved to the tarmac. The left landing gear was down and it appears that the landing gear retract rod broke between the fuselage and the wing. The left wing was also damaged. There has been no recent work to the landing gear retract rod. The prop was not damaged.
As the FAA filed it
ON 4/25/2023 I WAS NOTIFIED OF AN AIRCRAFT THAT RAN OFF THE RUNWAY AT KBLV SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, BELLEVILLE, IL. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 9:15AM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS A BEECHCRAFT V35B WITH RETRACTABLE GEAR. THE PILOT WAS FLYING IFR FROM SPRINGFIELD-ROBERTSON COUNTY AIRPORT (M91) SPRINGFIELD TN. HE WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON 14L ON KBLV. WHEN THE PILOT LOWERED HIS LANDING GEAR APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES OUT, HE NOTICED THAT THE LEFT GEAR LAMP WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. HE CYCLED THE GEAR AGAIN WITH THE SAME RESULT. HE NOTIFIED THE TOWER, AND THEY RESPONDED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. THE PILOT LANDED, TRYING TO HOLD THE LEFT WING FROM SETTLING AS LONG AS HE COULD, WITH FULL FLAPS. AS SOON AS THE WEIGHT SETTLED ON THE LEFT LAND GEAR, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED APPROXIMATELY 5-10 FEET, THEN THE WING STARTED TO DROP. HE HEARD METAL GRINDING ON THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE LEFT. HE WENT OFF THE RUNWAY AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET IN THE GRASS. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. I INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT THAT AFTERNOON AFTER IT HAD BEEN MOVED TO THE TARMAC. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND IT APPEARS THAT THE LANDING GEAR RETRACT ROD BROKE BETWEEN THE FUSELAGE AND THE WING. THE LEFT WING WAS ALSO DAMAGED. THERE HAS BEEN NO RECENT WORK TO THE LANDING GEAR RETRACT ROD. THE PROP WAS NOT DAMAGED.
Other reports on N525BH · 1
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