CHI01LA090

The airplane landed gear-up and impacted a runway light following a visual approach to the airport. The airplane was recovered with the landing gear in the retracted position. Postaccident testing of the landing gear warning system and gear position lights revealed no anomalies.

On February 15, 2001, at 1210 mountain standard time, a Beech 95-55, N98PA, was substantially damaged during a wheels-up landing at the William B. Heilig Airport (BFF), Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The commercial pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed from the Weld County Airport, Greeley, Colorado, at 1100, en route to BFF.

The pilot reported the following in a written statement:

"...Upon entering downwind at Scottsbluff I proceeded to accomplish the pre-landing check "CGUMPS". While accomplishing this check a radio call from a helicopter in the vicinity came over the radio. I responded and looked for the traffic. The passenger and I determined that the helicopter was not in our flight path and I proceeded in the traffic pattern. Neither one of us remembers hearing the gear motor while looking for the helicopter. Upon turning base for runway 30 I did "CGUMPS" for the second time. I also put in the second notch of flaps. All indications at this point are normal. After turning final for runway 30 I did "CGUMPS" for the third time. Nothing is out of the ordinary. The green light for the gear is on. Power and airspeed is normal."

"While in the traffic pattern all indications where normal. The power settings [were where] they needed to be as well as the speeds. The gear warning horn never sounded. As I started to flair and settle on the runway it felt as though the airplane had blown a tire and we were riding on the rim. I maintained the airplane on the centerline of the runway. Then the nose started to drop to low and the props started to strike. That is when I realized the landing gear had failed. I turned off the fuel and shut off all the electrical power. Once the airplane came to a stop we evacuated and got clear of the airplane...the leading edge of the left wing outboard of the engine nacelle had a puncture from a runway light."

An Airframe and Power Plant mechanic who recovered the airplane reported the following in a written statement:

"We raised the airplane with two payloaders and a tail stand. When the aircraft was off the ground I cranked the gear down and went outside and verified all three were down and locked. I elected to crank the gear down because there was fuel leaking out of one fuel vent. After the airplane was setting on all three gear I turn[ed] on the master and it showed a green light."

The mechanic also stated that the landing gear was fully retracted and not partially extended during the recovery.

Postaccident testing of the airplane's landing gear warning system and landing gear position lights by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed no anomalies.