What happened
On 16 May 2015, a NAMC CJ-6A Chujiao, registration G-BXZ1B, was conducting a private familiarisation flight at Goodwood Airport, West Sussex. During the approach and landing phase, the pilot had configured the aircraft for landing, with cockpit indicators showing the gear was fully extended. This configuration was corroborated by two eyewitnesses who observed the landing gear in a normal position prior to touchdown.
Upon making a normal touchdown, the right main landing gear collapsed. This was immediately followed by the collapse of the left main gear and subsequently the nose landing gear. Despite the impact, there were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board. The aircraft sustained damage including a bent propeller and a shock-loaded engine.
The investigation
The AAIB examined the aircraft and the pilot's reports following the incident. Post-accident inspections of the cockpit revealed that the front landing gear selector was in the down position, while the rear selector remained locked in neutral.
When the aircraft was subsequently lifted by a crane for inspection, both main landing gears were found to extend without assistance. However, the nose landing gear required the manual release of the uplock using a screwdriver before it would extend. The investigation also noted a photograph taken by the pilot during the landing roll, which showed the nose gear still extended while both main gears had already retracted.
Findings
- The landing gear system on the NAMC CJ-6A Chujiao is pneumatically operated.
- The collapse of the main gear during the landing roll suggests a potential air leak or an anomaly within the landing gear selectors caused the gear to retract unexpectedly.
- The nose gear remained extended during the initial phase of the gear collapse but was found to be stuck in the uplock position during recovery efforts.