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20230610010269I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech 35 · Ashland, OR · June 10, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 10, 2023 · 13:40 local
Place
Ashland, OR
Airport
Ashland
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4579V
Reported as
Beech 35
Reported engine
Continental E185 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
400 total
N4579VRegistered now · Beech 35S/N D-1221 · Built 1947Airframe modelBeech 35Engine modelContinental E185 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.

Pilot departed medford airport (mfr) for Ashland Airport (S03). They are less than 30 miles apart. After departing mfr, the pilot move the gear level "up" to retract the gear. The "gear down" light remained on along with the "analog" indicator showing the gear had not retracted. Pilot checked the breakers which appeared appropriate and cycled the gear lever twice. This did not change the indicators. Pilot elected to place the gear lever in the down position. Pilot phoned his instructor from the plane and shared the circumstances with him. They both felt that it was reasonable to continue to Ashland as he was already over halfway there and maintenance would be available. Pilot performed a typical landing (not hard and landed on the mains first). Nose wheel touched and rolled appropriately. After about 300-500 feet the nose gear collapsed causing the prop to strike the runway. The aircraft then began to "drift" to the right. When the right main gear departed the runway surface and entered the soft dirt, the gear collapsed partially into the wing and the airplane came to a stop. Pilot shut down the engine and secured the fuel and electrical systems. Pilot exited the airplane without injury.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED MEDFORD AIRPORT (MFR) FOR ASHLAND AIRPORT (S03). THEY ARE LESS THAN 30 MILES APART. AFTER DEPARTING MFR, THE PILOT MOVE THE GEAR LEVEL "UP" TO RETRACT THE GEAR. THE "GEAR DOWN" LIGHT REMAINED ON ALONG WITH THE "ANALOG" INDICATOR SHOWING THE GEAR HAD NOT RETRACTED. PILOT CHECKED THE BREAKERS WHICH APPEARED APPROPRIATE AND CYCLED THE GEAR LEVER TWICE. THIS DID NOT CHANGE THE INDICATORS. PILOT ELECTED TO PLACE THE GEAR LEVER IN THE DOWN POSITION. PILOT PHONED HIS INSTRUCTOR FROM THE PLANE AND SHARED THE CIRCUMSTANCES WITH HIM. THEY BOTH FELT THAT IT WAS REASONABLE TO CONTINUE TO ASHLAND AS HE WAS ALREADY OVER HALFWAY THERE AND MAINTENANCE WOULD BE AVAILABLE. PILOT PERFORMED A TYPICAL LANDING (NOT HARD AND LANDED ON THE MAINS FIRST). NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED AND ROLLED APPROPRIATELY. AFTER ABOUT 300-500 FEET THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING THE PROP TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGAN TO "DRIFT" TO THE RIGHT. WHEN THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR DEPARTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND ENTERED THE SOFT DIRT, THE GEAR COLLAPSED PARTIALLY INTO THE WING AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP. PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND SECURED THE FUEL AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. PILOT EXITED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT INJURY.