- Date
- August 25, 2001, 14:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Jacksonville, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N521UBeech 55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Orlando FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010825029249A
- Case key
- 53243
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 failure of the left landing gear extention rod for undetermined reasons that resulted in a landing with the gear retracted.
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
The pilot completed the landing check and verified that the landing gear cockpit indicators light showed that the landing gear was down and locked position. The pilot continued the approach and the airplane touched down with the left wheel retracted. The subsequent examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear extension rod was bent. The landing gear extension rod was replaced, and a successful functional check of the landing gear system was accomplished. According to the flying club assistant chief pilot, this airplane was used for training, and the origin of the extension rod deformation was not determined. Additionally, the pilot had no means of verifying when the main and nose gear assemblies are in the extended and locked positions.
Factual narrative
On August 25, 2001, at 1450 eastern daylight time, a Beech 55, N521U, landed with left main landing gear up at the Mayport Airport, in Jacksonville, Florida the training flight was operated by the Navy Flying Club under the provisions of CFR 14 Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The certified flight instructor and his student were not injured. The airplane received substantial structural damage. The flight departed Jacksonville, Florida, at 1405.
During the seventh touch and go landing, the left main landing gear failed to extend. According to the pilot, he completed the landing check and verified that the landing gear cockpit indicators light showed a down and locked position. The pilot continued the approach and the airplane touched down with the left wheel retracted.
The subsequent examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear extension rod was bent. The examination also revealed that the uplock rollers were maintained in accordance with required maintenance procedures and performed without discrepancies during the post-accident functional check. The landing gear extension rod was replaced, and a successful functional check of the landing gear system was accomplished. According to the flying club assistant chief pilot, this airplane was used for training, and the origin of the extension rod deformation was not determined. Since, the landing gear indicator system only shows the position of the landing gear motor, the pilot had no means of verifying when the main and nose gear assemblies were in the extended and locked positions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N521U
- Reported as
- Beech 55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE-85
- Airframe hours
- 8,109
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jax Navy Flying Club NAS
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NRB · Jacksonville
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- KNRB · Mayport Airport, runway 050, 8,004 × 200 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 4, 2001
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,358 total · 97 in this make and model · 34 in the last 90 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,100 total · 5 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- JAX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N521U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.