Sunday, March 18, 2018

Beech Baron E55, N855T: Accident occurred August 24, 2016 at Sheppard Air Force Base/Wichita Falls Municipal Airport (KSPS), Wichita County, Texas

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Lubbock, Texas

Cobra Kai Inc

Location: Wichita Falls, TX
Accident Number: CEN16LA336
Date & Time: 08/24/2016, 1830 CDT
Registration: N855T
Aircraft: BEECH E-55
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Landing gear not configured
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional 

On August 24, 2016, about 1830 central daylight time, a Beech E-55, N855T, impacted the runway surface during a gear-up landing on runway 17 at Sheppard Air Force Base/Wichita Falls Municipal Airport (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom fuselage structure. The flight instructor and a commercial rated dual student pilot were uninjured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Cobra Kai Inc (dba Cobra Kai Flight Academy) under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 141 as an instructional flight that was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight originated from Kickapoo Downtown Airport, Wichita Falls, Texas at 1609 and diverted to SPS.

The flight instructor stated that during an approach for landing, the landing gear selection handle was placed into the gear down position, and "immediately" he and the duel student pilot noticed electrical smoke and fumes, but there was never a fire. The battery and alternator switches were selected to the off position to vent the cockpit. The flight instructor and the pilot restored electrical power and saw the landing gear up and down position indicator lights were not illuminated, and the landing gear circuit breaker was tripped. They were unable to fully extend the landing gear. The manual landing gear crank handle did not engage and spun freely in both directions and they were unable to fully extend the landing gear. They then performed a gear-up landing on runway 17.

Post-accident examination by the Federal Aviation Administration of the main landing gear retraction actuator assembly revealed a broken snap ring within the manual crank extension housing that allowed the actuator worm gear to reposition itself beyond the actuator worm sector travel limits.

There was no airplane maintenance record showing that the landing gear actuator assembly had been repaired/overhauled. The airplane had a total time of 6,184.5 hours.

According to the Baron 55 and 58 Maintenance Manual, section 5-10-00- 601, dated April 1, 2015, TIME LIMITS/MAINTENANCE CHECKS, TIME LIMITS INSPECTION/CHECK, A. Landing Gear states that the actuator assembly is to be overhauled or replaced every 2,000 hours for gray or green colored assemblies. The assembly that was examined was green colored.

Flight Instructor Information

Certificate: Airline Transport; Flight Instructor; Commercial; Flight Engineer
Age: 53, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Lap Only
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s):  Airplane Multi-engine; Airplane Single-engine; Instrument Airplane
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/16/2016
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 12/30/2015
Flight Time:  4940.7 hours (Total, all aircraft), 83.5 hours (Total, this make and model), 3967.1 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 89.6 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 29.7 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 1.9 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Student Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial
Age: 41, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Lap Only
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Unknown Unknown
Last FAA Medical Exam: 07/23/2015
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  2990 hours (Total, all aircraft), 4 hours (Total, this make and model), 1118 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: BEECH
Registration: N855T
Model/Series: E-55
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1973
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: TE-928
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 6
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 07/23/2016, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 5300 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 6184.5 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Continental
ELT: C91  installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: IO-520-CB
Registered Owner: COBRA KAI INC
Rated Power: 285 hp
Operator: COBRA KAI INC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot School (141)
Operator Does Business As:  Cobra Kai Flight Academy
Operator Designator Code: 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: SPS, 1019 ft msl
Observation Time: 1752 CDT
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 6500 ft agl
Temperature/Dew Point: 35°C / 18°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 15 knots, 200°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 29.97 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV): 
Precipitation and Obscuration:  No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Wichita Falls, TX (CWC)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: Wichita Falls, TX (SPS)
Type of Clearance: IFR; VFR Flight Following
Departure Time: 1609 CDT
Type of Airspace: Class D

Airport Information

Airport: Sheppard Air Force Base/Wichita (SPS)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 1019 ft
Runway Surface Condition:
Runway Used: 17
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 7021 ft / 150 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop; Straight-in

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude:  33.988889, -98.491944 (est)

NTSB Identification: CEN16LA336
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 24, 2016 in Wichita Falls, TX
Aircraft: BEECH E-55, registration: N855T
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On August 24, 2016, about 1830 central daylight time, a Beech E-55, N855T, impacted the runway surface during a gear-up landing on runway 17 at Sheppard Air Force Base/Wichita Falls Municipal Airport (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom fuselage structure. The flight instructor and a student pilot were uninjured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Cobra Kai Inc under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 141 as an instructional flight that was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight last departed from Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport (LAW), Lawton, Oklahoma and was destined to SPS.

Examination of the main landing gear retraction actuator assembly revealed a broken snap ring within the manual crank extension housing that allowed the actuator worm gear to reposition itself beyond the actuator worm sector travel limits.

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