A BEECH (RAYTHEON) BARON-58 PLT WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND LNDG GEAR AFTER GEAR MOTOR MALFUNCTION DURING RETRACTION. LANDED GEAR UP.

Date: 2008-01 · Aircraft: Baron 58/58TC · Phase: landing

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|ground-event-encounter-gear-up-landing

Synopsis

A BEECH (RAYTHEON) BARON-58 PLT WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND LNDG GEAR AFTER GEAR MOTOR MALFUNCTION DURING RETRACTION. LANDED GEAR UP.

Narrative

I WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR FOLLOWING A GEAR MOTOR MALFUNCTION DURING RETRACTION. THIS CAUSED ME TO HAVE TO LAND WITH THE LNDG GEAR RETRACTED. THE GEAR RETRACTION MOTOR HAD SOME SORT OF MALFUNCTION THAT CAUSED IT TO BIND SO THAT IT WOULD NOT ROTATE IN THE DIRECTION NECESSARY TO EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR BY NORMAL OR EMER MEANS; LEAVING ME WITH NO CHOICE EXCEPT TO LAND WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT THE GEAR MECHANISM SHOULD BE DESIGNED SO THAT THE GEAR MOTOR WOULD BE DISCONNECTED FROM THE EMER EXTENSION CRANK WHEN THE CRANK IS DEPLOYED TO EXTEND THE GEAR. THIS IS NOT THE CASE AT THE PRESENT TIME AND SINCE THE MOTOR WOULD NOT ROTATE IN THE DIRECTION NECESSARY TO LOWER THE GEAR; THE EMER CRANK WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN ALSO; THUS NECESSITATING THE GEAR-UP LNDG.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HIS BEECH BARON-58 HAS LESS THAN 1;000 TOTAL HRS AND BARELY SEVEN YRS OLD WITH STANDARD COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS; NO GLASS TYPE. RPTR ALSO STATED HE REQUESTED THAT BEECH TEAR DOWN THE GEAR MOTOR; WITH HIS ACFT INSURANCE REP PRESENT; IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTUALLY SEIZED IN THE GEAR MOTOR. THE GEAR-UP LNDG CAUSED DAMAGE TO BOTH PROPS; REQUIRING TEAR-DOWN ON BOTH ENGINES; FUSELAGE SKIN REPAIRS AND STRUCTURAL FRAME INSPECTIONS. RPTR BELIEVES THE BARON AND BONANZA SERIES ACFT USE THE SAME ELECTRIC TYPE GEAR MOTOR FOR THE LNDG GEAR EXTEND AND RETRACT FUNCTIONS. ALTHOUGH NO ONE WAS HURT IN THE ACFT OR ON THE GND; HE IS QUITE CONCERNED THAT THE ELECTRIC GEAR MOTOR WAS CAPABLE OF SEIZING IN A MANNER THAT PREVENTED HIM FROM BEING ABLE TO USE THE MANUAL CRANKING PROC.

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