- Date
- March 16, 2023, 17:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Cleveland, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N8702Beech C35
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- 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
- FAA report
- 20230316002349A
- Case key
- 106965
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 retraction of the landing gear after landing for unknown reasons.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that shortly after he exited the runway after landing, the nose landing gear collapsed. According to his written statement, “neither the flaps had been retracted yet or a command given to retract the landing gear.” He immediately shut off the mixture to the engine, took photos of the cockpit controls, and exited the airplane. Examination of the accident site and wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the flaps were in the down position, the nose landing gear was fully retracted, the left main landing gear was about 80% retracted, and the right main landing gear was about 50% retracted. A visual examination of the taxiway revealed a 25 ft ground scar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8702
- Reported as
- Beech C35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-3245
- Built
- 1951
- Airframe hours
- 3,821
- Engine
- Continental E225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 25, 2022
- Departed
- 2A0 · Dayton, TN
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- RZR · Cleveland Regional Jetport
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 10, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 5,277 total · 278 in this make and model · 5,004 as pilot in command · 127 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- CHA, 22 nm away
- METAR
- KCHA 161853Z 14013G19KT 10SM SCT180 BKN250 19/M04 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP189 T01891039
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 23, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.