Beechcraft 65-80 N184R

Summary

On 26 December 1999 at about 19:42 local time, a Beechcraft 65-80 registered N184R was involved in an accident near Mesa, Arizona, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 December 1999 at 19:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Mesa, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Falcon Field (FFZ)

Coordinates

33.4393, -111.8496

Aircraft

Beechcraft 65-80

Registration

N184R

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00LA064

Nobody was injured.

The collapse of a main landing gear due to damage from a hard landing at an undetermined time.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Following completion of an annual inspection, the pilot took off for a local area flight. The pilot performed one takeoff and landing. Then, during the landing gear retraction process on the next takeoff, the pilot observed a cockpit indication that the left main landing gear did not normally retract. No "up lock" light illuminated. In an effort at remedying the situation, the landing gear circuit breaker was pulled. Then, the hand pump was utilized to manually extend the gear. Following this effort, only two green landing gear position lights illuminated. The pilot stated he informed the control tower that he would be landing with an unsafe gear indication. After landing and rolling between 80 and 100 feet, the left main gear collapsed. As the airplane slid to a stop it veered into a taxi light and onto the dirt clearway. An FAA inspector examined the airplane and found the left gear's actuator shaft was broken in half, and the knuckle attachment bolts had been "pulled out" of the structure. No evidence of any preexisting defect or malfunction in the gear assembly was observed. The noted evidence was consistent with the airplane having been subjected to a hard landing. However, the date(s) for the occurrence could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.