What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was running late for a departure from bellaire mi to midstate airport in north carolina.
After pulling his airplane out of the hangar for the flight, he was distracted by other duties and failed to remove the towbar.
During flight he noticed a slower cruise speed, the landing gear in transit, and the gear motor circuit breaker popped.
As he proceeded south near standish, he made the decision to divert to Tuscola Area Airport near Caro.
Nearing the airport, he was able to reset the breaker and extend the landing gear. The towbar remained attached and hung down from the airplane.
The pilot chose to land on runway 6 and touched down just west of the pavement. He veered off the runway toward the east, going through a taxi way sign and runway lights, through tall grass and a ditch before coming to rest along the parallel taxiway facing the opposite direction. The landing gear had collapsed, and the aircraft sustained heavy damage. The pilot and passenger were uninjured.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS RUNNING LATE FOR A DEPARTURE FROM BELLAIRE MI TO MIDSTATE AIRPORT IN NORTH CAROLINA.
AFTER PULLING HIS AIRPLANE OUT OF THE HANGAR FOR THE FLIGHT, HE WAS DISTRACTED BY OTHER DUTIES AND FAILED TO REMOVE THE TOWBAR.
DURING FLIGHT HE NOTICED A SLOWER CRUISE SPEED, THE LANDING GEAR IN TRANSIT, AND THE GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED.
AS HE PROCEEDED SOUTH NEAR STANDISH, HE MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT TO TUSCOLA AREA AIRPORT NEAR CARO.
NEARING THE AIRPORT, HE WAS ABLE TO RESET THE BREAKER AND EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. THE TOWBAR REMAINED ATTACHED AND HUNG DOWN FROM THE AIRPLANE.
THE PILOT CHOSE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 6 AND TOUCHED DOWN JUST WEST OF THE PAVEMENT. HE VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY TOWARD THE EAST, GOING THROUGH A TAXI WAY SIGN AND RUNWAY LIGHTS, THROUGH TALL GRASS AND A DITCH BEFORE COMING TO REST ALONG THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE LANDING GEAR HAD COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.