- Date
- August 20, 1982, 14:43 local (19:43 UTC)
- Place
- Kansas City, MO
- Injuries
- 12 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N237AMSwearingen SA226TC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19820820040429A
- Case key
- 71224
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
During the approach to topeka the crew was unable to extend the left gear. The crew diverted to Kansas City, and after many unsuccessful attempts to lower the left gear elected to land wheels-up. The left main gear was jammed into the geardoors. The aft hinge bolt was missing from the left inboard gear door, allowing the gear door to shift just enough to jam the gear as it started to extend. 17 days prior to the accident the loose aft hinge was noted during preflight. Company maintenance was unable to retorque the bolt due to the nutplate attachment rivets being stripped. This item was being carried as a delayed discrepancy. These parts can only be lubricated before installation. The entire assembly is almost impossible to inspect, remove, lubricate, install, torque & safety replacement of the nutplate is considered a major undertaking the manfacturer stated that "short cycling" the gear as many as 18 times would eventually break open the gear doors. This emergency method of extending the gear had not been disseminated to all operators.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N237AM
- Reported as
- Swearingen SA226TC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC332
- Airframe hours
- 4,840
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331, 940 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Air Midwest
- Registered owner
- Aviation Equipment Leasing, In
- Departed
- ITC · Wichita, KS
- Destination
- TOE · Topeka, KS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MKC · Downtown, runway 3, 5,052 × 150 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 9,273 total · 3,456 in this make and model · 2,742 as pilot in command · 93 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N237AM · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.