- Date
- January 20, 2001, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7107NBeech BE-23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Jackson FSDO
- Case key
- 51371
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilots failure to maintain directional control of the airplane ,and subsequently resulted in the collapse of the right main landing gear.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, this was the first flight following the completion of the annual maintenance inspection. The pilot stated that during taxi he noticed that the nose wheel steering seemed slightly "stiff" when applying right rudder, and slightly "less responsive" when applying left rudder. The pilot stated that during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right, and he subsequently applied rudder to correct for the drift condition. The airplane veered to the left again and started to skid, which resulted in the right main landing gear collapse. Examination of the airplane failed to disclose any mechanical malfunction or component failure.
Factual narrative
On January 20, 2001, at 1500 central standard time, a Beech BE-23, N7107N, right main landing gear collapsed during a landing on runway 36 at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Mississippi. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane received substantial damage, and the pilot was not injured. The flight departed Columbus, Mississippi, at 1440 hours.
According to the pilot, this was the first flight following the completion of the annual maintenance inspection, which included replacement of the top half of the nose gear. The pilot stated that during taxi he noticed that the nose wheel steering seemed slightly "stiff" when applying right rudder, and slightly "less responsive" when applying left rudder. After about 15 minutes of flight, the pilot returned to the airport for a landing. The pilot stated that during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right, and he subsequently applied rudder to correct for the drift condition. After several lateral oscillations, the airplane veered to the left again and started to skid. As the airplane continued the left skid, the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wheel assembly separated from the strut.
According to the pilot, the aircraft had recently had nose gear maintenance at a local repair facility. Examination of the airplane failed to disclose any mechanical malfunction or component failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7107N
- Reported as
- Beech BE-23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M1192
- Airframe hours
- 2,488
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360A2G, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gordon Burns
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 20, 2001 · 0.3 hours before
- Departed
- GTR · Columbus, MS
- Destination
- GTR · Columbus, MS
- Airport
- GTR · Golden Triangle, runway 36, 6,497 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Military, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 30, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,696 total · 640 in this make and model · 3,242 as pilot in command · 170 in the last 90 days · 116 in the last 30 days · 55 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- GTR