N691B

On February 11, 2024, at 1030 mountain standard time, a Beech A35, N619B, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Maricopa, Arizona. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that she had just taken off and planned to remain in the traffic pattern. She stated that she put the landing gear switch in the down position when the airplane was midfield and lowered the flaps during the base turn. The pilot stated that she did not look at the gear position indicator before landing. Security video captured the airplane on final approach, and the landing gear appeared to be retracted. The airplane landed with the gear up, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.

Following the accident, the landing gear switch was observed in the down position, and both main landing gear doors were partially extended where the airplane came to rest. The nose gear doors were not visible. Recovery personnel hoisted the airplane and left the landing gear switch in the down position. Upon activating the master switch, the landing gear began to lower. The nose gear doors initially did not open due to damage. The nose gear doors were pried open and all three landing gear then lowered under aircraft power. Recovery personnel stated that the nose gear drag brace was damaged during the initial attempts to lower the gear during recovery.

Examination of the underside of the airplane revealed scraping and impact damage to the skin and stringers of the underbelly from the nose gear doors aft to near the trailing edge of the wings. Scraping damage to the nose gear doors was concentrated near the outboard and aft edges, with scratch marks angled predominantly 45° from the centerline of the airplane and the normal direction of forward travel. The right main landing gear door sustained scraping damage to the protruding ridge on the gear door; there was no visible damage to the left main landing gear door.

The airplane was suspended using a crane and lifting straps. The landing gear switch in the cockpit was observed in the down position. The master power switch was turned on and the landing gear switch was placed in the up position. The gear drive motor was heard activating, and all three landing gear began to retract. The retraction halted about midway due to insufficient airplane battery power, so the landing gear switch was placed in the down position. The gear motor operated, and the landing gear fully extended. An auxiliary battery power unit was connected to the airplane’s battery. The master power switch was turned on again, and the landing gear switch was placed in the up position. The three landing gear retracted until the nose gear wheel contacted the forward lifting strap, which prevented full retraction of the nose gear. The landing gear switch was placed in the down position, and all three landing gear extended fully. The landing gear were raised and lowered two additional times with the same results. No anomalies were noted with the landing gear system during the operational checks.