Loss of control Accident Beechcraft A36TC N3685W,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 291141
 
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Date:Sunday 18 January 2015
Time:13:35 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic BT36 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft A36TC
Owner/operator:
Registration: N3685W
MSN: EA-113
Year of manufacture:1980
Total airframe hrs:3034 hours
Engine model:Continental TSIO 520
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Flagstaff, Arizona -   United States of America
Phase: Landing
Nature:Private
Departure airport:La Verne-Brackett Field, CA (POC/KPOC)
Destination airport:Flagstaff-Pulliam Airport, AZ (FLG/KFLG)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot stated that, during landing, the airplane bounced and that he subsequently applied back pressure to the elevator in an effort to deplete the excess energy. The airplane touched down a second time, and the pilot held the airplane in a nose-high attitude. The airspeed decreased, and the airplane eventually came to rest on its nose. Two air traffic controllers witnessed the accident from the airport traffic control tower. They both reported that the airplane bounced a number of times during the landing sequence. One of the controllers reported that the initial landing was hard and on the nosewheel first, which caused the airplane to porpoise down the runway before the nose landing gear (NLG) collapsed.

Examination of the of the upper NLG torque knee revealed that it exhibited grinding damage and that its mounting lug, which had broken free, was elongated and that its fracture surfaces exhibited features consistent with overload. Additionally, the nosewheel fork assembly had bent aft, and the forward landing gear brace had broken into three pieces. All of the observed damage was consistent with overload failures. Further, due to the design of the landing gear system, the type of damage observed on the NLG could only have resulted from excessive forward loads being placed on it. Although the pilot reported that he thought the NLG failed due to a preexisting mechanical failure of the upper torque link, the evidence clearly indicates that it was connected to the lower torque knee before the landing and that it failed in overload during the initial hard landing and subsequent separation from the airplane.

Probable Cause: The pilot's improper landing flare and loss of airplane control, which resulted in a hard landing and the subsequent failure of the nose landing gear.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: WPR15LA099
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 6 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB WPR15LA099

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
07-Oct-2022 10:01 ASN Update Bot Added

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