What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airman provided a written statement indicating that he had been practicing a power-off 180 maneuver and conducted a normal landing without incident with the intention of performing a touch-and-go. In the process of rolling out from the landing and resetting the aircraft the landing gear collapsed. The airman stated that during the process of resetting that he may have either bumped the landing gear switch, activated it, and quickly moved it back or he had some other mechanical issue. He stated that he was not 100% certain on what happened and while the landing was smooth he noticed a small bounce before the gear collapsed. The airman was asked what his normal reset procedure would be while performing a touch-and-go landing and he stated that he would typically retract the flaps, apply power, and lift back off the runway and once airborne with a positive rate of climb would retract the landing gear.
On scene investigation of the incident aircraft showed that it came to rest perpendicular to taxiway echo on runway 35R, approximately 2,750’ from the runway threshold. It was observed that the nose gear and nose gear door were completely retracted, the right main gear was partially retracted, and the left main gear was fully extended. The propeller tips were bent backward indicating the engine was running at the time of impact. It was also observed that the flaps were fully extended.
Propeller strike marks were observed on the runway centerline markings starting at approximately 340’ south of the aircraft location. Based on the distance between propeller strike marks on the ground it was estimated that the aircraft was traveling approximately 48-61KTS at the time of first impact.
Review of aircraft maintenance records showed aircraft was in compliance with inspection requirements and held a valid airworthiness & registration certificate. Review of pilot records and logbook showed pilot was in compliance with currency requirements and held the appropriate pilot certificate and medical to operate the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
AIRMAN PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT INDICATING THAT HE HAD BEEN PRACTICING A POWER-OFF 180 MANEUVER AND CONDUCTED A NORMAL LANDING WITHOUT INCIDENT WITH THE INTENTION OF PERFORMING A TOUCH-AND-GO. IN THE PROCESS OF ROLLING OUT FROM THE LANDING AND RESETTING THE AIRCRAFT THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT DURING THE PROCESS OF RESETTING THAT HE MAY HAVE EITHER BUMPED THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH, ACTIVATED IT, AND QUICKLY MOVED IT BACK OR HE HAD SOME OTHER MECHANICAL ISSUE. HE STATED THAT HE WAS NOT 100% CERTAIN ON WHAT HAPPENED AND WHILE THE LANDING WAS SMOOTH HE NOTICED A SMALL BOUNCE BEFORE THE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRMAN WAS ASKED WHAT HIS NORMAL RESET PROCEDURE WOULD BE WHILE PERFORMING A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING AND HE STATED THAT HE WOULD TYPICALLY RETRACT THE FLAPS, APPLY POWER, AND LIFT BACK OFF THE RUNWAY AND ONCE AIRBORNE WITH A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB WOULD RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR.
ON SCENE INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT SHOWED THAT IT CAME TO REST PERPENDICULAR TO TAXIWAY ECHO ON RUNWAY 35R, APPROXIMATELY 2,750’ FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE NOSE GEAR AND NOSE GEAR DOOR WERE COMPLETELY RETRACTED, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS PARTIALLY RETRACTED, AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS FULLY EXTENDED. THE PROPELLER TIPS WERE BENT BACKWARD INDICATING THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. IT WAS ALSO OBSERVED THAT THE FLAPS WERE FULLY EXTENDED.
PROPELLER STRIKE MARKS WERE OBSERVED ON THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE MARKINGS STARTING AT APPROXIMATELY 340’ SOUTH OF THE AIRCRAFT LOCATION. BASED ON THE DISTANCE BETWEEN PROPELLER STRIKE MARKS ON THE GROUND IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 48-61KTS AT THE TIME OF FIRST IMPACT.
REVIEW OF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWED AIRCRAFT WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS AND HELD A VALID AIRWORTHINESS & REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE. REVIEW OF PILOT RECORDS AND LOGBOOK SHOWED PILOT WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS AND HELD THE APPROPRIATE PILOT CERTIFICATE AND MEDICAL TO OPERATE THE AIRCRAFT.
Other reports on N488DD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.