# NTSB CEN12LA283: Beech 58, N8121R, Sioux Falls, SD, April 24, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 24, 2012, 17:04 local (22:04 UTC) - Place: Sioux Falls, SD - Coordinates: 43.581943, -96.741943 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.5819&lon=-96.7419&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 13, 2013 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 83584 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12LA283 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/83584/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83584 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA283 ## Probable cause The failure of the normal and emergency landing gear system to fully retract or extend the landing gear for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examinations, which resulted in a partial gear-up landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: gear extension and retract sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech 58, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md?model=1152740), [All aircraft, 416 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md) - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech 58, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=1152740), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330); cases with it: [Beech 58, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md?model=1152740), [All aircraft, 994 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095); cases with it: [Beech 58, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md?model=1152740), [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech 58, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md?model=1152740), [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Beech 58, 19 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=1152740), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot stated that he was unable to fully retract the landing gear after takeoff and the landing gear position indicator transition light remained illuminated. He tried to manually extend the landing gear, but the crank arm was difficult to turn. Unable to fully extend or retract the landing gear, the pilot diverted to a nearby airport where he performed a landing with the gear partially extended, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. During the postaccident recovery and examination of the airplane, the landing gear was cycled repeatedly using the airplane’s normal (electrical) landing gear system and operated normally. Although the manual landing gear extension handle was difficult to turn during postaccident testing, this would not explain why the gear would not retract. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system could not duplicate the condition that resulted in the partial gear-up landing. ## Factual narrative On April 24, 2012, about 1704 central daylight time, a Beech 58, N8121R, experienced a gear-up landing on runway 33 at Joe Foss Field Airport (FSD), Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provision of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and a flight plan had not been filed for the local flight that departed from the Marv Skie-Lincoln County Airport (Y14), Tea, South Dakota. The pilot stated that after takeoff from Y14 he was unable to fully retract the landing gear and the landing gear position indicator transition light remained illuminated. He reset the landing gear circuit breaker which was tripped but it tripped again. He tried to extend the landing gear using the manual extension, but the crank arm was stuck. Unable to extend the landing gear, the pilot performed a gear-up landing on runway 33 at FSD, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. According to an airframe and powerplant mechanic who recovered the airplane, the landing gear was extended to half of its travel. When airplane was raised for recovery, the landing gear retracted into the wheel wells using the airplane electrical system. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector stated that during the recovery, the manual landing gear extension handle was difficult to turn. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed that the landing gear operated normally when actuated about 10 times. There was no obstruction in the landing gear transmission and operation of the landing gear electric motor did not reveal any unusual noises. The stop within the transmission did not provide an over center position, and the landing gear system rods were not deformed. The electric motor had a 1996 date stamp and there was no record that it had been overhauled or repaired. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8121R](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8121R-2018-01-29), registration cancelled 2018-01-29, S/N TH-690, built 1975 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 58 (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Beech 58](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-58) (registry code 1152740) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: TH-690 - Airframe hours: 9093 - Engines: Continental IO540 reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 91 - Operator: Pilot - Registered owner: Pilot - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: Y14, Tea, SD - Destination: RAP, Rapid City, SD - Airport: FSD, Joe Foss Field Airport, runway 33, 8,000 × 150 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 53; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; seat: left; flight hours: 2,500 total, 600 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 41 °F - Altimeter: 29.60 inHg - Observed at: FSD ## 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 20120424007039A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120424007039A), Apr 24, 2012: Beech 58, Sioux Falls, SD, Substantial damage. Pilot [privacy data omitted] diverted from Y14 airport tea SD to fsd Sioux Falls, SD when he had an unsafe gear indication in a BE-58 aircraft N8121R. He could… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 30, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83584. 146 KB in all. - Pilot Statement (item 1, .PDF, 46 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40389165&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Record of Converstation - AP Mechanic (item 2, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40389171&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Converstation%20-%20AP%20Mechanic-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation - FAA (item 3, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40389172&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20FAA-Master.PDF 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.