Incident Overview
On February 12, 2008, at approximately 1505 mountain standard time, a Beech A45 single-engine airplane, registration N34KF, experienced a landing gear collapse during the landing roll at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado. The aircraft sustained substantial damage when the right wing impacted a runway sign. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured.
Flight Details
The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by Goldwing Aviation, LLC, Englewood, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 demonstration flight. The local flight departed at 1454.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, prior to starting the airplane, the battery was dead, and he used an external source to charge and start the airplane. The taxi and initial takeoff were uneventful. During landing gear retraction after takeoff, the airplane lost total electrical power. The pilot elected to continue the flight and troubleshoot the electrical failure. Due to the loss of electrical power, the pilot had no communications and had to manually extend the landing gear. A second airplane flew near the accident airplane to verify whether the landing gear was extended. The landing gear appeared to be extended, and the pilot attempted to land. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane departed the runway surface. The right wing impacted a runway sign, and the nose landing gear and left main landing gear also collapsed. The airplane came to rest upright approximately 10 feet off the runway.
Post-Incident Examination
Examination of the airplane by the owner and a local mechanic revealed that the right wing spar and wing ribs were bent. According to a maintenance technician who examined the airplane, the aircraft battery was completely discharged. The owner of the airplane reported that the alternator would not be able to handle the electrical load during landing gear retraction without battery power.
Registration and Operator
The aircraft was registered as N34KF to a private individual and operated by Goldwing Aviation, LLC, based in Englewood, Colorado.