# NTSB ERA21LA312: Beech K35, N44DB, Readington, NJ, July 30, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 30, 2021, 10:40 local (14:40 UTC) - Place: Readington, NJ - Coordinates: 40.582744, -74.736717 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5827&lon=-74.7367&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 103610 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA21LA312 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103610/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103610 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA312 ## Probable cause The failure of the forward end of the landing gear actuator rod. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: nose/tail landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech K35, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220/cases.md?model=1151524), [All aircraft, 185 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech K35, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=1151524), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Beech K35, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=1151524), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis On the base leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot lowered the landing gear and the green landing gear indicator light illuminated. During the subsequent landing, the main gear touched down, and “the nose came down like normal but kept going down with a sudden bang.” The airplane slid off the runway, came to rest in the grass, and sustained substantial damage to the forward lower fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed that forward end of the landing gear actuator rod was fractured. The failure resulted in insufficient tension to keep the over-center down lock assembly in place. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N44DB](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N44DB), registered now, S/N D-6074, built 1959 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH K35 - Registry model: [Beech K35](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-k35) (registry code 1151524) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: D-6074 - Year built: 1959 - Airframe hours: 4472 - Engines: Continental IO-470N 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 1, 2021, 22 hours before - Departed: JNX, Smithfield, NC - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: N51, Solberg-Hunterdon, runway 22, 5,598 × 50 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review January 29, 2020; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,429 total, 600 in this make and model, 1,263 as pilot in command, 11 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 7 knots - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 29.81 inHg - Observed at: SMQ, 4 nm away - METAR: METAR KSMQ 301453Z AUTO 32007KT 9SM FEW041 26/17 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP093 T02560172 51012= ## 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 20210730012209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210730012209A), Jul 30, 2021: Beech K35, Whitehouse Stat, NJ, Substantial damage. Inspector arrived at Solberg airport (N51) during the morning of August 2, 2021 for the investigation into the 07/30/2021 accident involving N44DB, a… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 4, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103610. 12.9 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 13 pages, 9.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13786288&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01-01%206120_print_Redacted_b-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 137 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12899265&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01-02%20Statement%20from%20FAA%20Inspector-Rel.pdf - Maintenance log excerpts (item 3, PDF, 8 pages, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12899475&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=03-01%20Maintenance%20Log%20Excerpts_Redacted_reduced-Rel.pdf - Investigative photographs (item 4, PDF, 5 pages, 5 photos, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12898973&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=06-01-%20photo%20array_ERA21LA312-Rel.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.