Accidents
Factual Report: King Air gear collapsed
Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200, Leonardtown, Md., Oct.

Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200, Leonardtown, Md., Oct. 12, 2006–On approach to Runway 29 at St. Mary’s County Regional Airport, the King Air’s landing gear showed “three green lights.” After a “firm but normal” landing, and immediately after touchdown, the landing gear warning horn sounded intermittently and the right wing began to “drop.” The right gear collapsed and the airplane then veered to the right, and the right propeller struck the runway. Most of the right wing and the majority of the right side of the fuselage were “consumed” by the resulting fire. No one was injured.

Both landing-gear assembly down-lock plates had been installed with their beveled surfaces facing aft, although they should have been installed facing forward. As installed, the down-lock plates and down-lock hook had a mutual contact area of less than 0.05 inch. When correctly installed, the contact area increased to 0.25 inch.