N31704Beech 1900C · 1984

On May 8, 2020, about 2050 central daylight time, a Beechcraft 1900C airplane, N31704, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near San Antonio, Texas. The pilot sustained no injury. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 cargo flight, as Ameriflight 1829.

The operator reported that the flight departed the Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP), Corpus Christi, Texas, at 2004, with 631 lbs of cargo, and a fuel load of 2,800 lbs. During the initial climb, the captain selected the landing gear handle to the UP position to retract the landing gear. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the captain attempted to cycle the landing gear handle once more, which yielded the same result. Following the second unsuccessful gear retraction, the captain elected to leave the landing gear handle in the DOWN position and continued to the San Antonio International Airport (SAT), San Antonio, Texas, where more services would be available if needed. At SAT, air traffic control cleared the airplane for the visual approach. The pilot entered a right base leg and completed the before landing checklist, noting three green lights and no red lights, which indicated the landing gear was down, locked, and safe for landing.

The airplane touched down, about 90 kts, around the aiming point marker on runway 4. As the main landing gear touched down on the dry concrete, the left main landing gear collapsed, the red unsafe light in the landing gear handle illuminated, and was followed by an aural horn, indicating the landing gear was now unlocked and unsafe for landing. Simultaneously, the airplane began to dip toward the left, causing the left-wing tip to contact the runway. The pilot reported there was no side loading during the touchdown. The airplane subsequently exited the runway and came to a stop. The left wing sustained substantial damage from the accident sequence.

The airplane was lifted after the accident to allow the left main landing gear to be manually extended and pinned in place. The upper drag leg arm was found fractured, and the actuator forward rod end was bent. The left main landing gear drag brace assembly (Beech part number 114-810023-1, serial number ARC31209-5) and the left main landing gear actuator (Beech part number 114-380041-21, APPH part number 40600-12, serial number 14) were retained for further examination.

A postaccident examination revealed that the upper drag leg arm fractured in bending and twisting overload. There was no evidence of pre-existing cracking or corrosion. The dimensions of the part were consistent with the drawing and the chemical composition and microstructure were consistent with 7075 aluminum alloy as required. The mechanical properties were lower, and the electrical conductivity was higher than the requirements for 7075-T6 aluminum alloy. The measured mechanical properties and electrical conductivity did not conform to any standard temper for 7075 aluminum alloy.

A review of the operator’s maintenance records revealed that on April 29, 2020, the left main landing gear and right main landing gear drag brace assemblies were replaced on the airplane because they were due for overhaul. The left main landing gear drag brace assembly installed was the unit removed after the accident (serial number ARC31209-5). The drag brace assembly had been overhauled by Ameriflight in February 2020. Based on the paperwork, the overhaul entailed disassembly, stripping of paint, inspection, repaint, and reassembly with new hardware.

A postaccident functional test of the left main landing gear actuator found no anomalies. A postaccident laboratory analysis of a sample of the airplane’s hydraulic fluid found no anomalies.

A review of the operator’s cargo load manifest showed that the airplane was within weight and balance limitations for the flight. The airplane was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder, nor was it required to be.