Final Report: Faulty downlock plates caused gear collapse

By Mary F. Silitch

June 1, 2008
Accidents

Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200, Leonardtown, Md., Oct. 12, 2006–The NTSB said the King Air’s gear collapse on landing was caused by the airplane manufacturer’s inadequate landing-gear downlock plate maintenance orientation information, and the resulting disengagement of the main landing gear.

Immediately after the King Air touched down at St. Mary’s County Regional Airport, the landing gear warning horn sounded intermittently and the right wing began to “drop.” The right gear collapsed, the airplane then veered to the right and the right propeller struck the runway. No one was injured in the subsequent fire.

Investigation showed that both landing gear assembly downlock plates had been installed with their beveled surfaces facing aft, but they should have been facing forward. As installed, the downlock plates and downlock hook had a mutual contact area of less than 0.05 inch. When correctly installed, the contact area increased to .25 inch.

Back

Settlement Reached in 1996 Gulfstream IV Accident September 04, 2008 Years of litigation over a Gulfstream IV fatal crash at Palwaukee (Ill.) Municipal Airport (since renamed Chicago Executive Airport) in October... [more]
Faulty oxygen cylinder considered in 747 fuselage rupture and emergency landing September 01, 2008 Accident investigators are eyeing the failure of an oxygen cylinder as the cause of an explosion that forced an emergency landing for a Qantas... [more]
Kentucky Court Hears Comair Arguments September 01, 2008 The Kentucky Supreme Court heard arguments last month on the question of whether a lower court can hold Lexington Blue Grass Airport liable for... [more]
FAA King Air Lands Gear Up September 01, 2008 An FAA-operated King Air, N11, in late July landed gear up at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) after a gear malfunction. After taking... [more]
Hawker 800 crashes in Minnesota September 01, 2008 NTSB accident investigators are searching for clues as to what caused the crash of a Hawker Beechcraft Hawker 800 in Minnesota on July 31,... [more]