What happened
On February 21, 2008, a Beechcraft F 90, registration N146FL, was performing a flight from Chambéry Aix-les-Bains to Courchevel with a pilot and three passengers. Earlier that day, the pilot had completed a training flight in a Cessna 172 to renew his mountain site access authorization.
During the approach to runway 22 at Courcheleval, the pilot reported a normal approach with the landing gear and flaps in the landing configuration and an approach speed of approximately 95 knots. However, the touchdown was heavy. Upon impact, the main landing gear retracted. The pilot maintained engine power, causing the aircraft to skid along the runway before coming to a stop near the parking area. The impact was severe enough to cause the passenger cabin oxygen masks to deploy.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear and the pilot's operational history. Investigators confirmed that the main landing gear had been extended and locked prior to touchdown. The analysis revealed that the impact generated abnormally high forces that stressed the locking mechanisms and the control mechanism, causing them to fail. While the main gear retracted, the nose gear remained extended despite the damage.
Findings
- The primary cause of the gear failure was the insufficient consideration of the performance and handling differences between the pilot's previous training aircraft and the specific characteristics of the Beechcraft F 90 on this particular airfield.
- The pilot had extensive experience at Courchevel, having performed approximately 60 landings at the site since 1984 using various aircraft types, but this was his first landing at the altiport in a Beechcraft F 90.
- The landing was characterized as a hard touchdown, which provided the physical force necessary to overcome the structural integrity of the gear locks.