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20260511005579I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Shark Aero S R O SHARK 600 · Berlin, NH · May 11, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 11, 2026 · 08:30 local
Place
Berlin, NH
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N181AR
Reported as
Shark Aero S R O Shark 600
Reported engine
ROTAX 912 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
800 total
N181ARRegistered now · Shark Aero S R O SHARK 600S/N 181 · Built 2026Airframe modelShark Aero S R O SHARK 600Engine modelRotax 912 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The flight departed bml and conducted intermediate stops at whitefield and bethel without incident.

During the return to bml, the landing gear was extended while entering the traffic pattern. The right main landing gear did not indicate fully down and locked. Multiple attempts were made to cycle the landing gear, but the indication did not change.

Prior to landing, a radio transmission was made advising of a possible landing gear malfunction. The aircraft landed with the nose held off as long as possible while weight was maintained on the left main gear. When the right gear collapsed, the aircraft departed the runway into the grass area. During the excursion from the runway, the aircraft struck a runway light, resulting in damage to the left wing. Damage was also observed to the right-wing flap hinge and tail wear strip.

After the aircraft was recovered and moved to the hangar, an inspection of the landing gear mechanism revealed a pair of needle nose locking pliers wedged in the right landing gear mechanism.

As the FAA filed it

THE FLIGHT DEPARTED BML AND CONDUCTED INTERMEDIATE STOPS AT WHITEFIELD AND BETHEL WITHOUT INCIDENT.

DURING THE RETURN TO BML, THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED WHILE ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR DID NOT INDICATE FULLY DOWN AND LOCKED. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CYCLE THE LANDING GEAR, BUT THE INDICATION DID NOT CHANGE.

PRIOR TO LANDING, A RADIO TRANSMISSION WAS MADE ADVISING OF A POSSIBLE LANDING GEAR MALFUNCTION. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH THE NOSE HELD OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE WHILE WEIGHT WAS MAINTAINED ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. WHEN THE RIGHT GEAR COLLAPSED, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS AREA. DURING THE EXCURSION FROM THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. DAMAGE WAS ALSO OBSERVED TO THE RIGHT-WING FLAP HINGE AND TAIL WEAR STRIP.

AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND MOVED TO THE HANGAR, AN INSPECTION OF THE LANDING GEAR MECHANISM REVEALED A PAIR OF NEEDLE NOSE LOCKING PLIERS WEDGED IN THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR MECHANISM.