20260111000349I

The aircraft was being operated on a special flight permit with an ultimate destinationn of kcll. The aircraft was found off the center line of runway 22 approximately 350 feet past the intersection of runway 13-31. The aircraft was in a nose low attitude and the main landing gear were partially extended with the inner gear doors partially opened and the nose gear was still in the well with the doors jammed closed. The main wheels were resting on the inner gear doors. The “whiskey compass” indicated a heading of 340 degrees where the aircraft came to rest. Walking down runway 22, tire marks that are attributed to the nose tire could be seen beginning at the immediate edge of runway 13-31 where it intersects with runway 22 and gouge marks in the runway were found that were attributable to the prop were found. Shortly past the marks from the nose wheel, tire marks attributable to the left and right main tires were found that terminated under the aircraft. The circuit breaker panel door located on the copilot side was open and a 20 amp breaker labeled “ldg gear” was open and could not be manually reset. The aircraft was lifted via lifting straps wrapped around the prop and another strap around the aft fuselage aft of the baggage door by an external contractor. The owner entered the aircraft as it was suspended and operated the manual gear extension crank 15 full rotations which extended the main landing gear and closed the MLG inner doors. Rotating the manual extension had no effect on the NLG. The MLG did not extend FAR enough to make the over center locks on either MLG so a strap was placed between the left and right gear by the contractor to ensure the gear would not collapse while being towed. The NLG doors were pried open by the contractor and the NLG was pulled out of the well. The NLG would not lock in place by this method so a section of tube and clamps were placed on the NLG scissor to secure the NLG in the down position. When the nose gear was pulled out of its well, it was noted that movement of the NLG had no effect on the left or right MLG suggesting that the NLG was disconnected from the landing gear transmission. With the landing gear secured in the down position, the aircraft was towed to the ramp by the contractor. Once on the ramp, an access panel to the lower portion of the landing gear transmission was removed and it was found that the bell crank that attaches to the transmission to operate the NLG had broken. An examination of the bell crank indicated no evidence of previous cracking or damage. Damage to the aircraft consisted of a bent propellor and the subsequent damage to the engine due to a sudden stoppage, damaged inner MLG doors, damage to the skins of the nose bowl area, damaged NLG doors, and a damaged throttle control vernier inside the cockpit. The fact that the manual landing gear extension handle could be operated 15 turns and produce the resulting movement of both MLG and their respective doors indicates that the emergency extension worked as it should prior to the incident. The damaged NLG bell crank was most likely severed when the NLG collapsed and the force of the sudden movement of the NLG towards the rear of the plane (its normal direction of movement) was resisted by the landing gear transmission and the force resulted in damage to the bell crank.