V-Tail gear-up at DVT

Rgbeard

Rgbeard

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Aug 26, 2017
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Goodyear, AZ and Ensenada, Mexico
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rgbeard
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I flew in to DVT late this morning and the “big runway” was closed, with a legless V-tail sitting on it.

waiting for the reports.

N17561.
 
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I listened to North tower (120.20) beginning at 1800z. Sounds as if it, like many accidents, it began poorly. The pilot’s situational awareness was a little behind-the-curve. His first call to Deer Valley North Tower was an apology for busting Delta airspace.

It was a busy morning and tower gave him a little delay. then just as he was on base, he was changed to the South runway.

I am guessing somewhere in the mix the landing checklist was skipped.
 
Aircraft was a 1977 V35B. As built, the flap switch was on the bottom of the panel to the left of the throttle/prop/mixture controls, and the gear switch was to the right of the power controls. In 1984 (after production of the V-tail had ended), the panel of the A36 Bonanza was redesigned and the gear switch was to the left of the power controls and the flaps to the right, the more common arrangement.
 
Pilawt said:
Aircraft was a 1977 V35B. As built, the flap switch was on the bottom of the panel to the left of the throttle/prop/mixture controls, and the gear switch was to the right of the power controls. In 1984 (after production of the V-tail had ended), the panel of the A36 Bonanza was redesigned and the gear switch was to the left of the power controls and the flaps to the right, the more common arrangement.
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Do they have squat switches?
 
RyanB said:
So you just wait to inadvertently bring the gear up until you’re on the taxiway instead?

;)
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You wait until the airplane is clear of the runway and stopped or at least going slow enough that you can visually verify that you are touching the right level.

What makes this accident so sad is that it is such a known issue in the Beechcraft community (inadvertent landing gear retraction on rollout) that it is (or at least should be) beat into every pilot getting checked out. Don't change the configuration while still on the runway!
 
That’s what the guy who provided me some time in his Bo said. “We do nothing until we are stopped off the runway, and then go through the after landing checklist, bringing the flaps up, strobes off, etc.
 
luvflyin said:
Do they have squat switches?
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Yes, but if you get light, from a bounce or gust, the gear can retract. Or if the squat switch fails in the "up in the air" mode the gear can retract.



Wayne
 
Pilawt said:
Aircraft was a 1977 V35B. As built, the flap switch was on the bottom of the panel to the left of the throttle/prop/mixture controls, and the gear switch was to the right of the power controls. In 1984 (after production of the V-tail had ended), the panel of the A36 Bonanza was redesigned and the gear switch was to the left of the power controls and the flaps to the right, the more common arrangement.
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Regardless of position, one is shaped like a vertical wheel, the other like a flat horizontal flap.

Grab it and think about the shape. Then remove your hand or move the switch.



Wayne
 
Fearless Tower said:
You wait until the airplane is clear of the runway and stopped or at least going slow enough that you can visually verify that you are touching the right level.
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Ah, yes, I know, I was just being facetious. Slow down, double check and follow the checklist. I suppose this will be chocked up to a lesson learned the hard way! I’m just glad nobody was hurt!
 
benyflyguy said:
That has to give you a real crappy feeling to do that twice!
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When I was a flight instructor in College Station there was a guy on the field that had 5 gear up landings over the years. I believe 2 were from mechanical malfunction. He was a college professor, the type of guy that what he didn't know about aviation had not been invented yet. He knew EVERYTHING about aviation. If you didn't believe him, just ask him and he will tell you.
 
Rgbeard said:
I got it on good word that the pilot, a new partner in the plane, hit gear-up when intending to clean up flaps on roll-out.
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While I certainly appreciate the thought process behind this, then how would you do a T&G?
 
azpilot said:
While I certainly appreciate the thought process behind this, then how would you do a T&G?
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The American Bonanza Society is one of the premier type organizations. It sponsors ground and flight training through the BPPP (Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program). I am a BPPP instructor. Touch and Goes in a Bonanza is never smart and is a recipe for a gear up. BPPP prohibits its instructors to do a Touch and Go.
 
azpilot said:
While I certainly appreciate the thought process behind this, then how would you do a T&G?
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Back when I was a student pilot, my CFI taught me to not grip the (electric) flap handle but rather nudge it with the knuckle of my pinky. His theory was that you had to grab and pull a gear lever in order to move it, which is very difficult to do with just your pinky knuckle.

Not sure that would work with hydraulic flaps, though. Definitely not with a Johnson bar.
 
Rgbeard said:
doing touch and goes in a retractable is a risky endeavor and requires lots of attention.
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This.

My personal policy is no touch and goes in any retract single or twin unless there is a CFI in the other seat to reconfigure the airplane for me.
 
I fly an old 1955 F35. I was taught not to flip any switches on the airplane till off the runway and stopped. I hate it when this happens.
 
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Did my complex in an Arrow, plenty of T&Gs with no issues. Pretty hard to mistake the gear handle for the flaps.
 
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