This January 2008 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Beech Baron. Location: Cahokia, Ill. Injuries: None. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The airplane had just come out of maintenance. The pilot reported that the flight was normal, but during the landing he felt a falling motion during the flare. He thought there was a problem with the landing gear. He aborted the landing and flew by the control tower and asked for a landing gear check. He was informed the landing gear appeared down. He then returned to his departure airport and while landing he felt the right wing drop closer to the ground than normal. He aborted the landing again and began to troubleshoot the landing gear system. He flew by the air traffic control tower two more times and performed the emergency gear extension checklist. The pilot then used the gear-up landing emergency checklist and landed the airplane. During the landing roll the right main gear collapsed and the right wing hit the runway. The right wing and aileron were substantially damaged.
The pilot reported that he had received a gear down and locked indication every time he extended the landing gear during the flight. The post-accident inspection of the landing gear revealed that it could be released from the down and locked position by pushing on it with hand pressure. The leg brace portion of the landing gear retract brace assembly had been replaced during the aircraft’s last annual inspection. The leg brace that was installed was not purchased from Beechcraft. According to Beechcraft the company does not sell the leg brace as a separate item from the upper brace assembly because of the close tolerances required between the two braces in order for the gear to properly lock in the extended position. There is no information in the maintenance manual that indicates the upper brace assembly and the leg brace must be replaced as a unit for the main landing gear.
Probable cause: Maintenance personnel’s improper replacement of the landing gear leg brace assembly, which subsequently failed to keep the landing gear in the locked position.
For more information: NTSB.gov
