A BEECH KING AIR WHEEL FELL OFF ON TKOF. THE ACFT WAS LANDED WITH ALL GEAR UP SUCCESSFULLY.

Narrative

WE WERE ON A XCOUNTRY FLT FROM APC TO RDD AND RETURN. THE FIRST LEG WAS NORMAL. AT REDDING WE MADE 8 TOUCH AND GOES AND ON UPWIND AFTER THE LAST ONE REDDING TWR CALLED US TO SAY THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM THE FOREST SVC (BASED NEAR THE DEP END OF THE RWY) SAYING THAT SOMEONE HAD SEEN OUR R WHEEL FALL OFF OUR ACFT AND ROLL OFF THE END OF THE RWY. I REQUESTED A LOW PASS WITH THE GEAR DOWN TO CONFIRM THIS INFO; WHICH THEY DID. WE DEPARTED RDD VFR AND PICKED UP OUR IFR FLT PLAN BACK TO APC. AFTER EXECUTING A VOR 6 APCH AT APC WE DID A LOW PASS TO HAVE OUR COMPANY MAINT DEPT CONFIRM THAT OUR R WHEEL WAS MISSING; WHICH THEY DID. AFTER DISCUSSING OPTIONS WITH OUR FLT OPS AND MAINT DEPTS WE ELECTED TO MAKE A GEAR UP LNDG. AFTER WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE EMER PERSONNEL WERE IN POS AND READY WE MADE A GEAR UP LNDG. OVER THE THRESHOLD WE SHUT DOWN AND FEATHERED THE ENGS; AND SHUT OFF THE FUEL AND MASTER SWITCHES. AFTER WE STOPPED WE EXITED BY WAY OF THE EMER EXIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A BEECH 90 KING AIR THAT ONLY HAD ABOUT 400 OR 500 HRS ON IT. HE SAID HIS STUDENT WAS AN ADVANCED STUDENT MAKING RELATIVELY SMOOTH LNDGS. THE BEARING IN THE WHEEL HAD DISINTEGRATED AND THE BEARING RACE IS LARGER THAN THE NUT AND WASHER HOLDING THE WHEEL ON WHICH THEREBY ALLOWED THE WHEEL TO ESCAPE FROM ITS SPINDLE OR AXLE. THE BEARING IS SUPPOSED TO BE CHKED EVERY 750 HRS BUT THIS AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE 750 HRS. ALL 20 OF THE COMPANY KING AIRS WERE SUMMARILY GNDED AND THE BEARINGS WERE INSPECTED. THERE WAS NO OTHER PROB FOUND. THE COMPANY IS ATTEMPTING TO GAIN APPROVAL FOR A MODIFIED WASHER THAT IS LARGER THAN THE BEARING RACE. ON THE KING AIR WHEN THE WHEEL IS RETRACTED THE TIRE PROTRUDES SUFFICIENT. THAT KEPT THE NACELLE AND BELLY FROM GND CONTACT WITH THE AID OF THE EXTENDED FLAPS. ON THE SIDE WITHOUT THE WHEEL THE NACELLE DID CONTACT THE PAVEMENT. AFTER LNDG AS THE ACFT SLID; THE R SIDE HAD MORE DRAG THAN RUDDER AUTH BUT APPLYING THE L BRAKE CAUSED THE ACFT TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE SLIDE. THERE WAS NO FIRE THOUGH THERE WAS A VERY SMALL FUEL LEAK ON THE R NACELLE WHICH THE RPTR WAS ABLE TO STOP WITH A SPONGY EAR PLUG. THE PAST 20 YRS' SVC DIFFICULTY BULLETINS WERE RESEARCHED. THERE WAS ABOUT 1 WHEEL PER YR THAT FELL OFF DURING THAT PERIOD. THE RPTR STATED THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD THINK OF HE WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. THE FAA HAS HAD NO COMPLAINT WITH THE COMPANY OR THE PLTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EVENT.