Beechcraft A35 N516B

Summary

On 23 September 1998 at about 21:00 local time, a Beechcraft A35 registered N516B was involved in an accident near Christmasvalley, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 September 1998 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Christmasvalley, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Christmas Valley (62S)

Coordinates

43.2395, -120.5906

Aircraft

Beechcraft A35

Registration

N516B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA98LA186

Nobody was injured.

A jammed nose gear. A corroded cable and the failure of the owner to have an annual inspection performed on the airplane were factors.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that when he retracted the landing gear after takeoff, he heard a snap or pop. He flew around the pattern then entered downwind for landing. He stated that when he tried to extend the landing gear, the gear would not extend. He tried to hand crank the gear down, and found that the crank was jammed. He landed with the gear retracted. After the accident, the pilot found that a small cable in the wheelwell that ran from the nose-gear strut onto a pulley high in the wheelwell was entangled in the gear mechanism, jamming the gear and preventing the limit switches from making contact. The FAA inspector who examined the aircraft noted that the cable was badly corroded in the area of the break. The inspector also noted that the airplane had not been inspected by a mechanic for seven years.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.