Beechcraft 95 B55 (T42A) N321BJ

Summary

On 1 February 2017 at about 22:10 local time, a Beechcraft 95 B55 (T42A) registered N321BJ was involved in an accident near Cameron Park, California, United States. One person was 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

1 February 2017 at 22:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Cameron Park, California, United States

Nearest airport

Cameron Airpark (O61)

Coordinates

38.6836, -120.9858

Aircraft

Beechcraft 95 B55 (T42A)

Registration

N321BJ

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cameron Park → Cameron Park

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR17LA061

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the landing gear to extend as a result of excessive wear within the landing gear gearbox and motor, which resulted in a gear-up landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he heard a loud crunch when he raised the landing gear shortly after takeoff. The pilot climbed the airplane to about 3,000 ft and attempted to lower the landing gear using both the normal and emergency gear extension procedures but was unable to do so and subsequently landed with the gear retracted, resulting in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. Examination revealed that the landing would not extend normally. The landing gear motor was found shorted out internally and the gearbox sector gear contacted the internal stop when retracted; therefore, the emergency gear handle was not in contact with the pinion and rotated freely. The crank assembly exhibited signs of excessive wear and excessive pinion shaft end play. The American Bonanza Society Air Safety Foundation’s Landing Gear Inspection Checklist and Repair Guide stated that, “if the sector gear [end] hits the stop in either the extended or retracted position, the gearbox and motor should be removed and overhauled. The most common cause of this condition is a gear motor that is due for overhaul.” The excessive wear within the gearbox caused the sector gear to lose contact with the pinion which caused the gear motor and emergency gear handle to rotate freely with no corresponding motion from the landing gear itself.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.