SEA98LA186

The pilot reported that when he retracted the landing gear after takeoff, he heard a snap or pop. He flew around the pattern then entered downwind for landing. He stated that when he tried to extend the landing gear, the gear would not extend. He tried to hand crank the gear down, and found that the crank was jammed. He landed with the gear retracted. After the accident, the pilot found that a small cable in the wheelwell that ran from the nose-gear strut onto a pulley high in the wheelwell was entangled in the gear mechanism, jamming the gear and preventing the limit switches from making contact. The FAA inspector who examined the aircraft noted that the cable was badly corroded in the area of the break. The inspector also noted that the airplane had not been inspected by a mechanic for seven years.

On September 23, 1998, at 1400 Pacific daylight time, a Beech A35, N516B, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, landed with the landing gear retracted at the Christmas Valley Airstrip, Christmas Valley, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane had just taken off from Christmas Valley, for the local flight.

The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, he retracted the landing gear and heard a "snap" or "pop." The pilot stated that he kept this in mind and flew around the pattern a couple of time before entering downwind for runway 25. The pilot stated that he extended the landing gear and there was no response from the electrical gear system. The pilot stated that he checked the circuit breakers and fuses, and tried the switch several times without success. The pilot then tried to mechanically crank the landing gear down and found that the crank was jammed. The airplane was landed with the landing gear retracted. The aircraft slid to a stop on the runway.

The pilot stated that after the accident, and with the help of some neighbors, they put the aircraft on a trailer and towed it back to the hangar. When the aircraft was taken off the trailer, the pilot found that it was possible to crank the main landing gear down, however, the nose gear would not extend. The pilot stated that before he could look at the nose wheel, one of the neighbors pulled the nose wheel down. The pilot stated that upon his closer inspection, he found that "a small cable in the wheelwell that ran from the nose gear strut onto a small pulley high in the wheelwell and then into a common cable covering back under the engine had apparently become tangled in the gear mechanism, jamming the gear and preventing the limit switches from making contact..." The pilot also stated that "...it was apparent that this cable had jammed the crank down mechanism making it impossible to actuate the landing gear..."

A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector from the Portland, Oregon, Flight Standards District Office reported that he inspected the aircraft and found that the aircraft was substantially damaged as the formers and frame on the belly of the aircraft were bent and damaged from sliding on the runway. The inspector examined the broken cable and found that it was badly corroded in the area of the break. The inspector also found that the bottom arm assembly of the landing gear extension bellcrank was broken from impact damage.

The inspector reviewed the maintenance logbooks and found that the last annual inspection performed by a certificated inspection authorized mechanic was in 1991. The aircraft had accumulated about 55 hours since that inspection. The pilot, who is not a mechanic, reported that he had recently purchased this aircraft and performed his own inspection per FAR Part 43.3, and felt that the aircraft was in an airworthy condition.