Serious incident Beechcraft 58 Baron N225TA, Tuesday 14 March 2000

You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.

Date:	Tuesday 14 March 2000
Time:	17:20 LT
Type:	Beechcraft 58 Baron
Owner/operator:	Flight Express Inc.
Registration:	N225TA
MSN:	TH-64
Year of manufacture:	1970
Total airframe hrs:	4304 hours
Engine model:	Continental IO-520-CB7
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Memphis, TN - United States of America
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Unknown
Departure airport:	Ft. Smith, AR (KFSM)
Destination airport:	(KMEM)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The pilot stated that during the landing rollout the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane exited the runway. Company maintenance personnel examined the right gear and found that a dynamic brake relay, which provides a momentary surge of reverse current to the right main landing gear for positive stopping was defective. This defective part allowed the motor to drive the gearbox past prescribed limits, inducing a bend into the right main landing gear connecting rod. Once gear down was selected, the rod was placed under a compression load, which caused it to bend even further, and not extend the gear.

Probable Cause: failure of the right main landing gear's dynamic brake relay, that resulted in the motor driving the gearbox past prescribed limits, resulting in a bent connecting rod, and failure of the gear to extend.

Accident investigation: