Accident Overview
On April 12, 2013, at approximately 1335 Pacific daylight time, a Beechcraft 95-C55 Baron, registration N153NL, experienced a collapse of the left main landing gear during the landing roll at Santa Monica Municipal Airport in Santa Monica, California. The aircraft was operated by Schuster Aviation LLC under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
Flight Details
The flight departed Montgomery Field Airport in San Diego, California, around 1245, with a planned destination of Santa Monica. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed.
Events During Landing
According to the pilot, after touching down on runway 21, the airplane's ground speed decreased to between 15 and 25 knots. As the pilot prepared to exit the runway, the left brake locked and the left tire deflated. Shortly thereafter, the left main landing gear collapsed, causing the airplane to pivot sharply around the left wing. The pilot speculated that the landing gear failure resulted from debris from the tire interfering with the landing gear system.
An air traffic controller observed the landing rollout and reported seeing white smoke emanating from the left main landing gear. As the airplane turned off the runway, the left gear collapsed and the left wing dropped to the ground. The airplane came to rest in the safety area near the departure end of runway 21.
Post-Accident Examination
Following the accident, the airplane was manually raised on jacks, and a temporary brace was installed on the left main retract assembly to facilitate towing. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the aircraft and noted that the left main tire exhibited a flat spot and was worn completely through the tread and plies, consistent with a locked wheel condition during landing and rollout. Further inspection revealed that the left brake appeared normal and released properly, and the left main landing gear rotated freely while the airplane was towed. Based on physical and photographic evidence, the inspector concluded that the left main tire had locked up during landing, braking, and rollout, causing the airplane to veer sharply to the left. The inspector opined that the left main gear collapsed most likely due to side loads generated by the sharp left turn at speed.