PLT LANDS GEAR UP.

Date: 1995-01 · Aircraft: Bonanza 36

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

PLT LANDS GEAR UP.

Narrative

DEPARTED DWH WITH 3 PEOPLE ON BOARD. WX WAS IFR. ON HOUSTON DEP OR CTR FOR DURATION OF FLT UNTIL CTR CLRED ACFT FOR LCL FREQ. WX AT 03XS; JIM HOGG COUNTY ARPT WAS CLOSE TO MINIMUMS. SHOT ADF APCH; BROKE OUT AT 1700 FT ON ALTIMETER OR 938 FT AGL. STRAIGHT IN ON RWY 13 CIRCLED TO LAND ON RWY 31. GEAR HANDLE WAS DOWN WITH GEAR FUSE BLOWN (NOTED AFTER TOUCHDOWN). THERE WAS NO GEAR HORN AND NO INDICATION THAT EVERYTHING WAS NOT NORMAL UNTIL PLANE TOUCHED RWY. FELT SLIGHT BUMP AND THEN A SKID. SKID WAS RIGHT DOWN CTR LINE. IF GEAR HORN HAD SOUNDED; PLT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GAR AND RECYCLE GEAR 1 TIME. IF GEAR DID NOT COME DOWN ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT; WITH 3 GREEN LIGHTS; PLT WOULD HAVE JACKED THE GEAR DOWN TO PREVENT THE INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE EVENT OF LNDG WITH THE GEAR UP WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN A BONANZA A-36. THE RPTR HAS OVER 2000 HRS AND FLIES A KING AIR FREQUENTLY. IN THIS SCENARIO THE PLT HAD JUST COMPLETED A NON-PRECISION ACTUAL IMC APCH TO MINIMUMS WITH A CIRCLE TO LAND AND WAS RIGHT ON CTRLINE. WHEN THE GEAR WAS LOWERED HE DID NOT NOTICE THE ABSENCE OF THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS. HE WAS RELYING ON THE GEAR HORN WHICH HE DID NOT REALIZE WAS BROKEN. HE HAS CHKED THE GEAR HORN FROM TIME TO TIME AND HE JUST HAD THE ACFT ANNUALED IN FEBRUARY IN WHICH THE GEAR WAS SWUNG AND SIGNED OFF AS ALL FUNCTIONS OF THE RETRACTION AND EXTENSION INCLUDING THE WARNINGS OF HORN AND LIGHT PERFORMED SATISFACTORILY. NOW THE GEAR WAS LOOSE IN THE GEAR BOX AND MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FUSE TO BLOW. THE SWITCH ON THE THROTTLE TO THE GEAR HORN WAS BROKEN. SOME PLTS' PROC IS THEY DELIBERATELY PULL THE THROTTLE BACK TO GET THE HORN AS THEY DECELERATE AND LOWER THE GEAR HANDLE TO LISTEN FOR THE SUCCESSFUL GEAR EXTENSION TO TURN OFF THE HORN AND THEN SAY 'LNDG CHK 3 GREEN; GEAR SEEN.' THE AIRFRAME HAD VERY LITTLE DAMAGE BUT THE PROP WAS DESTROYED AND THE ENG HAD TO BE COMPLETELY OVERHAULED.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.