What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
05/28/2026 - Pilot stated that he had departed khao (Hamilton, OH) to fly to nearby airfield koxd (oxford, OH) to purchase fuel. After filling the fuel tank to full, he then departed koxd to fly back to khao. While in-flight he noticed a small fuel leak coming from the fuel tank sight gauge in the cockpit. He did not declare an emergency but flew on to khao since he was nearly there. The pilot made a normal approach to runway '29' at khao but decided to land long to avoid the delay of a long taxi back to his hanger with the fuel leak. The pilot moved the landing gear select handle out of the "raise" position and into the "drop" position and locked it into the appropriate ident on the gear position lock phalange. The landing gear dropped into place. The pilot then moved the select handle to the "lock" position to lock the gear in the down position. Unknowingly to the pilot, at the time, the gear handle locking phalange became bent aft over time, enough that it no longer kept the gear handle in the "lock" position. So that after landing and during the rollout, when the pilot made a slight turn to the left to access taxi way "c" the gear came out of lock and collapsed back into their respective wheel wells. The propeller struck the ground at this point and the engine stopped. The aircraft slid a short distance to the left and ended up partially in the grass, just prior to the intersection with taxi way "c". The pilot was the only soul aboard and was uninjured. The Ohio state police showed up at the accident scene prior to the FAA arrival. They completed their report and released the aircraft for removal from the runway. Rll
As the FAA filed it
05/28/2026 - PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED KHAO (HAMILTON, OH) TO FLY TO NEARBY AIRFIELD KOXD (OXFORD, OH) TO PURCHASE FUEL. AFTER FILLING THE FUEL TANK TO FULL, HE THEN DEPARTED KOXD TO FLY BACK TO KHAO. WHILE IN-FLIGHT HE NOTICED A SMALL FUEL LEAK COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK SIGHT GAUGE IN THE COCKPIT. HE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY BUT FLEW ON TO KHAO SINCE HE WAS NEARLY THERE. THE PILOT MADE A NORMAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY '29' AT KHAO BUT DECIDED TO LAND LONG TO AVOID THE DELAY OF A LONG TAXI BACK TO HIS HANGER WITH THE FUEL LEAK. THE PILOT MOVED THE LANDING GEAR SELECT HANDLE OUT OF THE "RAISE" POSITION AND INTO THE "DROP" POSITION AND LOCKED IT INTO THE APPROPRIATE IDENT ON THE GEAR POSITION LOCK PHALANGE. THE LANDING GEAR DROPPED INTO PLACE. THE PILOT THEN MOVED THE SELECT HANDLE TO THE "LOCK" POSITION TO LOCK THE GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION. UNKNOWINGLY TO THE PILOT, AT THE TIME, THE GEAR HANDLE LOCKING PHALANGE BECAME BENT AFT OVER TIME, ENOUGH THAT IT NO LONGER KEPT THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE "LOCK" POSITION. SO THAT AFTER LANDING AND DURING THE ROLLOUT, WHEN THE PILOT MADE A SLIGHT TURN TO THE LEFT TO ACCESS TAXI WAY "C" THE GEAR CAME OUT OF LOCK AND COLLAPSED BACK INTO THEIR RESPECTIVE WHEEL WELLS. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND AT THIS POINT AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE AIRCRAFT SLID A SHORT DISTANCE TO THE LEFT AND ENDED UP PARTIALLY IN THE GRASS, JUST PRIOR TO THE INTERSECTION WITH TAXI WAY "C". THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY SOUL ABOARD AND WAS UNINJURED. THE OHIO STATE POLICE SHOWED UP AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE PRIOR TO THE FAA ARRIVAL. THEY COMPLETED THEIR REPORT AND RELEASED THE AIRCRAFT FOR REMOVAL FROM THE RUNWAY. RLL