What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 22, 2025 at approximately 1242 local time, privacy data omitted operated by PIC privacy data omitted conducted a gear up landing at kgky. privacy data omitted Stated that they were conducting a maintenance flight after the aircraft had not flown in over 20 years. Earlier in the day he had performed multiple high speed taxis with subsequent adjustments made. They departed at approximately 1142 on runway 16L and conducted an initial pattern with the gear down without issue. They then performed 2-3 touch and go landings retracting and extending the gear each time with no issues noted. On the final pattern during the downwind while extending the gear privacy data omitted stated he heard a loud bang on the left side. He observed two green lights but the left main gear light did not illuminate. After running the checklist and utilizing the push-to-test function it was determined the left gear likely was not extended. This was confirmed by the control tower during a low pass. privacy data omitted Elected to conduct multiple orbits off airport to burn off fuel while continuing to run the emergency checklist but was unsuccessful in extending the gear. He requested that the fire department foam the runway and then made an intentional gear up landing. privacy data omitted Stated that on short final they pulled the mixture, turned the fuel selector off, and landed the aircraft. Based on markings on the runway the aircraft touched down just past the 1,000' marker at taxiway f and came to rest approximately 570' down the runway parallel to taxiway e.
On site investigation showed substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage as the skin was worn through to the bulkhead. The airplane was lifted via a crane and it was noted that the gear was hyper-extended in the wheel well which prevented it from being extended. The left gear took considerable manual force with a pry bar to extend. It was noted that the bellcrank assembly (p/n 5041001) was sheared with evidence of a crack/corrosion present. The aircraft was then towed to the ramp. Review of maintenance records showed the aircraft was current with all required inspections and the gear had been cycled multiple times on jacks with no issues noted prior to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 22, 2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 1242 LOCAL TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATED BY PIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONDUCTED A GEAR UP LANDING AT KGKY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THEY WERE CONDUCTING A MAINTENANCE FLIGHT AFTER THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT FLOWN IN OVER 20 YEARS. EARLIER IN THE DAY HE HAD PERFORMED MULTIPLE HIGH SPEED TAXIS WITH SUBSEQUENT ADJUSTMENTS MADE. THEY DEPARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 1142 ON RUNWAY 16L AND CONDUCTED AN INITIAL PATTERN WITH THE GEAR DOWN WITHOUT ISSUE. THEY THEN PERFORMED 2-3 TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS RETRACTING AND EXTENDING THE GEAR EACH TIME WITH NO ISSUES NOTED. ON THE FINAL PATTERN DURING THE DOWNWIND WHILE EXTENDING THE GEAR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE HEARD A LOUD BANG ON THE LEFT SIDE. HE OBSERVED TWO GREEN LIGHTS BUT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. AFTER RUNNING THE CHECKLIST AND UTILIZING THE PUSH-TO-TEST FUNCTION IT WAS DETERMINED THE LEFT GEAR LIKELY WAS NOT EXTENDED. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE CONTROL TOWER DURING A LOW PASS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ELECTED TO CONDUCT MULTIPLE ORBITS OFF AIRPORT TO BURN OFF FUEL WHILE CONTINUING TO RUN THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN EXTENDING THE GEAR. HE REQUESTED THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOAM THE RUNWAY AND THEN MADE AN INTENTIONAL GEAR UP LANDING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT ON SHORT FINAL THEY PULLED THE MIXTURE, TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR OFF, AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT. BASED ON MARKINGS ON THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN JUST PAST THE 1,000' MARKER AT TAXIWAY F AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 570' DOWN THE RUNWAY PARALLEL TO TAXIWAY E.
ON SITE INVESTIGATION SHOWED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AS THE SKIN WAS WORN THROUGH TO THE BULKHEAD. THE AIRPLANE WAS LIFTED VIA A CRANE AND IT WAS NOTED THAT THE GEAR WAS HYPER-EXTENDED IN THE WHEEL WELL WHICH PREVENTED IT FROM BEING EXTENDED. THE LEFT GEAR TOOK CONSIDERABLE MANUAL FORCE WITH A PRY BAR TO EXTEND. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE BELLCRANK ASSEMBLY (P/N 5041001) WAS SHEARED WITH EVIDENCE OF A CRACK/CORROSION PRESENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN TOWED TO THE RAMP. REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT WAS CURRENT WITH ALL REQUIRED INSPECTIONS AND THE GEAR HAD BEEN CYCLED MULTIPLE TIMES ON JACKS WITH NO ISSUES NOTED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3239Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.