On January 28, 1990, a Beech C24R (registration N66336) operated by Benmar, Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Greer, SC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S IMPROPER FLARE WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
After a cross-country flight, the nose landing gear of an aircraft failed to extend. Emergency procedures were unsuccessful, and a hard landing destroyed the gear.
Incident Details
Following a cross-country flight, the pilot returned to home base and discovered that the nose landing gear would not extend. Both normal and emergency extension procedures were attempted but did not resolve the issue. The aircraft subsequently landed with the main landing gear extended and the nose gear only partially extended.
Landing and Post-Landing Inspection
According to an FAA inspector who examined the aircraft after the landing, the landing was extremely hard. This hard landing destroyed the landing gear. The inspector further stated that the original malfunction of the nose landing gear could not be determined due to the damage sustained during the landing.