Beechcraft HAWKER N86MN

Summary

On 8 October 2019 at about 03:05 local time, a Beechcraft HAWKER registered N86MN, operated by Delta Private Jets, was involved in an accident near Fort Myers, Florida, United States. 4 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

8 October 2019 at 03:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Myers, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Southwest Florida Intl (RSW)

Coordinates

26.5336, -81.7592

Aircraft

Beechcraft HAWKER

Registration

N86MN

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Engines

2

Operator

Delta Private Jets

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Naples → Kerrville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA20LA008

Nobody was injured.

Maintenance personnel's improper installation of the nose landing gear assembly, which resulted in separation of the actuator arm and the failure of a nose landing gear to lock in place.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the initial climb, the flight crew attempted to retract the landing gear; the main landing gear retracted normally but the nose landing gear failed to retract. Several attempts to retract and extend the nose landing gear to a locked position were unsuccessful and the flight crew completed an emergency landing, during which the airplane skidded to a stop on its nose and fuselage. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. Examination of the nose landing gear actuator drag stay found that it was missing its nut, washer, and split pin, and deformation was observed in the attachment area. The nose landing gear leg was removed, overhauled, and re-installed by a contract maintenance facility as part of a broader routine maintenance inspection about 9 months before the accident. The airplane had flown 124 cycles since the removal and re-installation. The maintenance task reportedly followed in the maintenance manual required that the nut, washer, and split pin be installed during the installation, and records indicated that the installation task was performed by a mechanic and verified by a separate quality assurance inspector mechanic at the contract maintenance facility. There were no other inspections performed on the nose landing gear since the overhaul. Thus, it is likely that the split pin was not installed during installation of the nose landing gear following the overhaul, and over the course of the 124 cycles after installation, the nut and washer backed out, which allowed for the actuator arm to disconnect from its attach point. As a result, the actuator arm was free to move during the retraction and extension cycles, which damaged its attachment area and ultimately led to its complete separation. This is consistent with the pilot’s report of hearing a thud and feeling vibration emanating from the nose landing gear area during the retraction cycle.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.