Voyageur Airways Beechcraft King Air A100 Nose Landing Gear Failure

Incident Overview and Initial Response On 18 May 2002, at 1216 eastern daylight time, a Voyageur Airways Beechcraft King Air A100 (BE-10), registration C-GISH, serial number B152, departed Oshawa Municipal Airport, Ontario, on an instrument flight rules (IFR) ferry flight to North Bay. The aircraft carried two pilots and one non-revenue passenger. Shortly after takeoff, the flight crew heard a loud grinding sound originating from the nose landing gear area when selecting the gear handle to the up position. The red warning light in the landing gear handle illuminated, and the crew visually confirmed the nose gear was only partially retracted by observing its reflection on the engine nacelle. The captain elected to climb to the filed cruising altitude of 15,000 feet above sea level and continue to North Bay. En route, the crew attempted to lower the landing gear, but the red warning light remained on and the green nose gear safe light did not illuminate. Subsequent attempts to retract the gear also failed. The flight continued to North Bay, where the aircraft landed on Runway 08 with the nose landing gear partially extended. Upon touchdown, the nose gear collapsed, and the nose gear doors and both four-bladed propellers were substantially damaged when they struck the runway. No injuries were reported to the flight crew or the passenger.