Beechcraft BE90 N11FL

Summary

On 13 March 2004 at about 09:50 local time, a Beechcraft BE90 registered N11FL, operated by Execstar Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. 7 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

13 March 2004 at 09:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Intl (FLL)

Coordinates

26.1894, -80.1708

Aircraft

Beechcraft BE90

Registration

N11FL

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Execstar Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cancun → Fort Lauderdale

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

MIA04LA062

Nobody was injured.

The inadequate inspection of the landing gear system by company maintenance personnel resulting in a crack in the left main landing actuator mount going undetected and collapse of the left landing gear during landing roll when the actuator attachment failed.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated, during the approach to the airport he selected the landing gear to the down position. He observed two green lights and the light for the left landing gear was off on the landing gear indication. He informed the tower of the situation and cycled the gear with no change to the indication. He advised the tower he would like to perform a fly-by to have a visual check of the landing gear. The tower approved the low approach. The pilot cycled the landing gear one more time and got three green lights on the landing gear indication. The tower informed the pilot the gear appeared to be down and in place. The pilot requested and received clearance to land on runway 13. The accident airplane landed and rolled approximately 2,000 feet on the runway before the left main landing gear collapsed. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident site stated, the left main gear assembly was found retracted and up into the engine nacelle. The lock down assembly was unlocked and undamaged. The left main landing gear torque link was broken and the left landing gear actuator gearbox assembly was detached from its mount box. The investigating FAA inspector stated, at the time of the accident the accident airplane had accumulated about 148 hours since its last maintenance inspections, on January 3, 2004. That inspection included checking the actuator support brackets for visible damage, wear, cracks, loose or missing rivets. An examination of the fractured left gear actuator support box structure brackets revealed a crack that circumscribes the lower hi-shear rivet holes of the outboard bracket. The operator of the accident airplane stated, during damage assessment, a structural failure of the left main landing gear actuator support box structure was discovered. They suspected the structure had at least one existing crack which allowed the actuator to "float" within the support structure not allowing complete spring compression from the actuator to engage the left main landing gear drag leg hooks.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.