Narrative:
A Cessna 501, N501KM, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in and accident near Houston, Texas. The pilot was not injured.
After a normal instrument flight rules (IFR), 2-hour flight from Gainesville, Florida (GNV), the pilot was setting up to land at his final destination Houston International Airport, Texas (HOU). The pilot reported that during his final approach to runway 13, he lowered the landing gear and received 2 of 3 green lights on his landing gear position indicators. The left main landing gear light was not illuminated and a warning horn sounded. The pilot recycled the landing gear with the same result. He reported the situation to HOU tower and asked if they could visually see whether all three landing gear were down. The pilot stated that the HOU tower affirmed that all three landing gear were down. The pilot also stated that a commercial airliner that was taxiing toward the main terminal radioed that they observed all three landing gear were down.
The pilot reported that according to the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH), he initiated an aggressive bank right, followed abruptly by a bank left in an attempt to generate sufficient lateral G-force on the landing gear. The HOU tower asked the pilot his intentions, and the pilot informed them that he would proceed to land. Upon touchdown on runway 13R, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered left and came to a stop in a grassy area adjacent to runway 13R and Taxiway Lima, resulting in structural damage to the left wing tip and underbelly of the airplane. The pilot exited the airplane and airport emergency services responded.
Recovery personnel manually lifted and locked the left main landing gear down, and the airplane was towed to a hangar facility. The pilot reported that his decision to land was made because the left main landing gear indicator light had malfunctioned in years past, and it was found that the light had malfunctioned, and not the landing gear.
An investigation of the incident airplane showed that the internal locking mechanism of left main landing gear actuator was not functioning.
Probable Cause: The malfunction of the left main landing gear down lock, which resulted in a gear collapse upon landing.
Forced landing on runway
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Tuesday 19 May 2020 |
| Time: | 19:30 |
| Type: |  Cessna 501 Citation I/SP |
| Operator: | McWilliams LLC |
| Registration: | N501KM |
| MSN: | 501-0101 |
| First flight: | 1979 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5585 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-1A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Houston International Airport, TX (HOU) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Landing (LDG) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Gainesville Airport, GA (GVL/KGVL), United States of America |
| Houston International Airport, TX (HOU/KHOU), United States of America |
A Cessna 501, N501KM, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in and accident near Houston, Texas. The pilot was not injured.
After a normal instrument flight rules (IFR), 2-hour flight from Gainesville, Florida (GNV), the pilot was setting up to land at his final destination Houston International Airport, Texas (HOU). The pilot reported that during his final approach to runway 13, he lowered the landing gear and received 2 of 3 green lights on his landing gear position indicators. The left main landing gear light was not illuminated and a warning horn sounded. The pilot recycled the landing gear with the same result. He reported the situation to HOU tower and asked if they could visually see whether all three landing gear were down. The pilot stated that the HOU tower affirmed that all three landing gear were down. The pilot also stated that a commercial airliner that was taxiing toward the main terminal radioed that they observed all three landing gear were down.
The pilot reported that according to the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH), he initiated an aggressive bank right, followed abruptly by a bank left in an attempt to generate sufficient lateral G-force on the landing gear. The HOU tower asked the pilot his intentions, and the pilot informed them that he would proceed to land. Upon touchdown on runway 13R, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered left and came to a stop in a grassy area adjacent to runway 13R and Taxiway Lima, resulting in structural damage to the left wing tip and underbelly of the airplane. The pilot exited the airplane and airport emergency services responded.
Recovery personnel manually lifted and locked the left main landing gear down, and the airplane was towed to a hangar facility. The pilot reported that his decision to land was made because the left main landing gear indicator light had malfunctioned in years past, and it was found that the light had malfunctioned, and not the landing gear.
An investigation of the incident airplane showed that the internal locking mechanism of left main landing gear actuator was not functioning.
Probable Cause:
Probable Cause: The malfunction of the left main landing gear down lock, which resulted in a gear collapse upon landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Landing gear collapseForced landing on runway
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Gainesville Airport, GA to Houston International Airport, TX as the crow flies is 1187 km (742 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
Distance from Gainesville Airport, GA to Houston International Airport, TX as the crow flies is 1187 km (742 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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