# NTSB ANC07LA032: Beech D18S, N502CK, Levelock, AK, April 26, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 26, 2007, 11:20 local (19:20 UTC) - Place: Levelock, AK - Coordinates: 59.128055, -156.858612 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.1281&lon=-156.8586&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Anchorage FSDO-03 - NTSB case key (mKey): 65645 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC07LA032 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65645/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC07LA032 ## Probable cause The pilot's misjudged flare, which precipitated a hard landing, and damage to the main landing gear, resulting in a main landing gear collapse during the landing roll. A factor contributing to the accident was the overload failure of the main landing gear atachment. ## Analysis The airline transport certificated pilot was conducting a non-scheduled, domestic cargo flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135. The pilot reported that during the landing roll the right main landing gear collapsed, causing the airplane to exit the right side of the runway. An FAA air safety inspector who visited and photographed the site, said the airplane landed hard on the gravel runway threshold, became airborne again, and touched down about 300 feet down the runway. The inspector photographed main landing gear impact marks on the runway threshold. The marks were several inches deep, 3-6 feet in length, and had gravel sprayed forward and to each side of the track. The tracks began again about 300 feet down the runway. The tracks veered sharply off the right side of the runway, and terminated at the wreckage. The inspector provided a hand-drawn sketch of the marks with approximate distances. The airplane received damage to the landing gear attaching points, right wing, and fuselage. ## Factual narrative On April 26, 2007, about 1120 Alaska daylight time, a Beech D18S airplane, N502CK, sustained substantial damage when the right main landing gear collapsed after landing at the Levelock Airport, Levelock, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Air Supply Alaska, Kenai, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) non-scheduled cargo flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The solo airline transport certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Kenai Airport, Kenai, about 1025. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on April 27, the pilot said about 200 feet into the landing roll he heard the gear warning horn activate, and saw the gear in-transit light illuminate. He said the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane exited the runway. The pilot said the left gear sheared off as it encountered soft terrain on the side of the runway. He said the airplane sustained damage to right wing and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were known problems with the landing gear prior to the accident. On April 30, the NTSB IIC met with the FAA aviation safety inspector who visited, and photographed the accident site. He said the airplane landed hard on the runway threshold, became airborne again, and touched down about 300 feet down the runway. The runway is gravel, and the inspector provided photographs that showed impact marks from the main landing gear on the runway threshold. The marks were several inches deep, 3-6 feet in length, and had gravel sprayed forward and to each side of the track. The tracks began again about 300 feet down the runway, with the left main landing gear touching first, followed by the right main landing gear, and then the nose wheel. The tracks veered sharply off the right side of the runway, and terminated at the wreckage. The inspector provided a hand-drawn sketch of the marks with approximate distances. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - Gear collapsed, landing - roll - landing gear,main gear attachment - overload (contributing factor) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - rough/uneven ## Aircraft - Registration: [N502CK](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N502CK-2013-06-07), registration cancelled 2013-06-07, S/N A-366, built 1954 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Beech D18S - Registry model: [Beech D18S](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-d18s) (registry code 1151004) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [AiResearch TPE331 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/airesearch-tpe331-series) (registry code 01517, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: A366 - Airframe hours: 17654 - Engines: Airesearch TPE331-1-101B 625 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Air Supply Alaska - Registered owner: Aero Equipment LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: PAEN, Kenai, AK - Destination: 9Z8, Levelock, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: 9Z8, Levelock, runway 01, 3,281 × 59 ft, gravel ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review January 1, 2007; seat: left; flight hours: 13,013 total, 685 in this make and model, 12,230 as pilot in command, 236 in the last 90 days, 52 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 10 knots - Visibility: 50 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 45 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20070426007529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070426007529A), Apr 26, 2007: Beech D18S, Levelock, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot was operating under CFR part 135 into a gravel uncontrolled runway. Aircraft experienced hard landing on runway threshold, damaged nose gear, and… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.