On April 27, 1982, a Piper PA-23-250T (registration N42050) operated by Dale Van Sickler was involved in an aviation accident near Lake Dallas, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The unexpected retraction of the landing gear during the landing roll, which resulted in a fire and substantial damage to the aircraft. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Aircraft landed normally with gear indicated down, but the landing gear retracted during the rollout. A subsequent fire caused substantial damage to the airframe.
What happened
The pilot reported that the landing gear indicators showed the gear was in the down and locked position prior to touchdown. The initial contact with the runway surface was described as normal. However, during the landing roll, the landing gear unexpectedly retracted into the fuselage. As the aircraft slid along the runway surface, a fire broke out in the left engine compartment. This incident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
A mechanic examined the aircraft following the event to determine the root cause of the mechanical failure. The inspection focused on the landing gear system to verify its operational integrity. The examination revealed no abnormalities with the landing gear extension or retraction mechanism, suggesting the issue was not due to a visible mechanical defect in those components.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the accident was the unexpected retraction of the landing gear during the ground roll phase. This mechanical anomaly directly led to the subsequent fire in the left engine, which caused substantial damage to the aircraft structure.
Probable cause
The unexpected retraction of the landing gear during the landing roll, which resulted in a fire and substantial damage to the aircraft.