What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At about 1418CST, a pilot and one passenger took off from shreveport downtown airport (dtn) on a CFR part 91 personal flight on board a Beechcraft musketeer BE23 privacy data omitted sn M-1356. The weather was clear. After 30 minutes of flying, the aircraft attempted to land at the Mansfield regional airport(3F3). The pilot said in a statement that the weather was clear, visual flight rules (VFR) and the first 30 minutes of the flight were uneventful. The pilot indicated that upon touchdown at 3F3, the nosewheel collapsed and the airplane slid nose down approximately 100 yards down the runway. Once stopped, the pilot reported looking out the window and saw flames emanating from beneath the cockpit and egressed as quickly as possible with the passenger. No injuries were reported. The aircraft was destroyed by the post-crash fire. The passenger’s statement supports the pilot’s account of the accident.
The FAA inspector in charge (iic) obtained video surveillance footage from the airport manager at 3F3 which the video shows the aircraft appear to bounce off the ground at least 3 times before it appears the landing gear collapses and the aircraft sliding on the belly of the aircraft to a stop.
The FAA iic inspected the remaining wreckage. The propellor, engine and cowlings along with the nose landing gear assembly did not sustain fire damage and was able to be examined. The nose gear, which is non retractable, was folded towards the back of the airplane with 2 of the support tubes broken the main support tubes were bent back to allow the pivot point, connection pivot point the nose wheel is allowed to turn while the aircraft is on the ground which is also connected by cables to the tail rudder for directional control in the air, contact the ground and wore about halfway thru during the crash. The nose wheel was still attached but it appeared fire damage burned most of the nose tire. The nose wheel spun freely. The cabin area was consumed by the post-crash fire, the wings and main landing gear were heavily damaged by the fire and the tail section was also heavily damaged by the fire.
As the FAA filed it
AT ABOUT 1418CST, A PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER TOOK OFF FROM SHREVEPORT DOWNTOWN AIRPORT (DTN) ON A CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT ON BOARD A BEECHCRAFT MUSKETEER BE23 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SN M-1356. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR. AFTER 30 MINUTES OF FLYING, THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT THE MANSFIELD REGIONAL AIRPORT(3F3). THE PILOT SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR, VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) AND THE FIRST 30 MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT WERE UNEVENTFUL. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT UPON TOUCHDOWN AT 3F3, THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE SLID NOSE DOWN APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS DOWN THE RUNWAY. ONCE STOPPED, THE PILOT REPORTED LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND SAW FLAMES EMANATING FROM BENEATH THE COCKPIT AND EGRESSED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITH THE PASSENGER. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE POST-CRASH FIRE. THE PASSENGER’S STATEMENT SUPPORTS THE PILOT’S ACCOUNT OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE FAA INSPECTOR IN CHARGE (IIC) OBTAINED VIDEO SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE FROM THE AIRPORT MANAGER AT 3F3 WHICH THE VIDEO SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT APPEAR TO BOUNCE OFF THE GROUND AT LEAST 3 TIMES BEFORE IT APPEARS THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSES AND THE AIRCRAFT SLIDING ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT TO A STOP.
THE FAA IIC INSPECTED THE REMAINING WRECKAGE. THE PROPELLOR, ENGINE AND COWLINGS ALONG WITH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY DID NOT SUSTAIN FIRE DAMAGE AND WAS ABLE TO BE EXAMINED. THE NOSE GEAR, WHICH IS NON RETRACTABLE, WAS FOLDED TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE WITH 2 OF THE SUPPORT TUBES BROKEN THE MAIN SUPPORT TUBES WERE BENT BACK TO ALLOW THE PIVOT POINT, CONNECTION PIVOT POINT THE NOSE WHEEL IS ALLOWED TO TURN WHILE THE AIRCRAFT IS ON THE GROUND WHICH IS ALSO CONNECTED BY CABLES TO THE TAIL RUDDER FOR DIRECTIONAL CONTROL IN THE AIR, CONTACT THE GROUND AND WORE ABOUT HALFWAY THRU DURING THE CRASH. THE NOSE WHEEL WAS STILL ATTACHED BUT IT APPEARED FIRE DAMAGE BURNED MOST OF THE NOSE TIRE. THE NOSE WHEEL SPUN FREELY. THE CABIN AREA WAS CONSUMED BY THE POST-CRASH FIRE, THE WINGS AND MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED BY THE FIRE AND THE TAIL SECTION WAS ALSO HEAVILY DAMAGED BY THE FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.