Accident Details
On May 28, 2022, about 1202 eastern daylight time, a Beech 58, registration N120PA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Perry, Georgia. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country trip.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot's written statement, he was completing a short cross-country flight and had extended the landing gear while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at the destination airport. The touchdown was normal, but during rollout, the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane veered right and came to rest upright off the right side of the runway.
Post-Accident Examination
A mechanic preparing a repair estimate for the airplane noted that the flaps were in the retracted position. When questioned, the pilot stated that the flaps had retracted uncommanded when the landing gear retracted uncommanded.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage, finding substantial damage to the lower fuselage. In a hangar, the inspector placed the airplane on jacks with external power applied. Due to impact damage, the landing gear could not be fully retracted and extended, but partial retraction and extension were possible, confirming electrical continuity to the landing gear system. Both weight-on-wheels switches tested satisfactorily, and no preimpact mechanical malfunctions were identified. The inspector noted that the landing gear doors were open, consistent with the landing gear being in transit at the time of impact.