N945WSBeech A100 · 1972

On March 12, 2019, about 1336 eastern daylight time, a Beech A100, N945WS, was substantially damaged after the main landing gear collapsed during landing at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport (LBE), Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The two airline transport pilots and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Capital City Airport (CXY), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and was destined for Rostraver Airport (FWQ), Monongahela, Pennsylvania. The business flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, the airplane was on approach to FWQ when he lowered the landing gear handle and heard a crunching noise. He noticed there were no green cockpit indicator lights to confirm that the landing gear was down and locked. The pilot then asked the co-pilot to circle the airport while he reviewed the emergency procedures for extending the landing gear in the airplane flight manual. He tried to extend the landing gear manually, but it appeared to be jammed. The pilot and co-pilot discussed the situation and decided to fly to LBE as that airport had a control tower and emergency equipment.

The pilot flew by the tower and asked if tower personnel could see the landing gear down. The tower controller told him that the landing gear appeared to be down. During the subsequent landing roll, the left main landing gear collapsed, followed shortly by the right main landing gear. The airplane then slid to a stop on the centerline of the runway and the flight crew and passengers egressed the airplane.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the main landing gear mechanical linkage was compromised, and the right main landing gear actuator shaft was broken. The actuator was retained for further examination.

The airplane was repaired at LBE with oversight from the FAA. During the repair, the right main landing gear actuator was observed to be fractured. Additionally, the actuator pinion bearing had separated from the actuator, which could cause a side load to the actuator and initiate the fracture.