N383

On September 10, 2001, at 1756 central daylight time, a Beech model 76, N383, piloted by a certified flight instructor and dual student, sustained substantial damage when the right main landing gear collapsed during landing on runway 30 (4,397 feet by 50 feet, asphalt), at the Palwaukee Municipal Airport, Wheeling, Illinois. The dual student held a private pilot certificate with a single engine land airplane rating. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and was not on a flight plan. The flight instructor and dual student were not injured. The flight originated from the Greater Rockford Airport, Rockford, Illinois at 1715.

In a written statement, the flight instructor said that following takeoff from RFD the landing gear of the airplane would not retract. He said that he and his student attempted to raise the gear several times to no avail. They decided to fly the airplane to PWK with the landing gear in the down position. He said that during the approach and landing phases of the flight, the landing gear was verified in the down position using the landing gear position indicating lights. He said that this check was performed two times during the approach. The right main landing gear collapsed during the landing.

During removal of the airplane from the accident scene it was found that the right main and nose landing gear were not completely down and locked. Only the left main was found in the locked position. Subsequent to the accident, the landing gear system hydraulic power pack was found to be intermittent.