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ERA23LA166

2023-03-16 · Cleveland, Tennessee, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RZR

Current FAA registration · N8702

Make / Model
BEECH C35
Year of manufacture
1951 · 72 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR E185 SERIES (205 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ABF8F4

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The retraction of the landing gear after landing for unknown reasons.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that shortly after he exited the runway after landing, the nose landing gear collapsed. According to his written statement, “neither the flaps had been retracted yet or a command given to retract the landing gear.” He immediately shut off the mixture to the engine, took photos of the cockpit controls, and exited the airplane. Examination of the accident site and wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the flaps were in the down position, the nose landing gear was fully retracted, the left main landing gear was about 80% retracted, and the right main landing gear was about 50% retracted. A visual examination of the taxiway revealed a 25 ft ground scar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Gear extension and retract sys-Unknown/Not determined

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_ERA23LA166.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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