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Sorry about not getting this report in earlier. I don't yet have a definite
answer, but am still investigating and will post more later.
REPORT TO NTSB :
We departed LHX about 8:00 MDT for the practice area, doing some turns and
stalls at about 9500' and then cruising over the area for over an hour. On
descending to return to LHX, I take over to land and as we approach the left
downwind we are still too fast, so I pull the nose up, slow down and put the
gear down. Lots of noise, like usual, 3 green (gear down), and we slow down
fine. Hold 100 mph and 5000' till we turn final for RWY 26 and put the flaps
down. I put the boost pump on, enrich the mixture, push the prop to fine
pitch and point to 3 green (gear down lights). We have a MAP of 12". We get
on down to about a foot off of the runway and I pull the power and the nose
comes up a bit, and I'm looking to settle onto the runway!! Next thing I
hear a noise, like the right tire off of the rim and we are starting to the
right a little bit. Think about left brake but we are sliding on the runway
with the prop leaving aluminum on the asphalt. We slide for maybe 100 yards
on the asphalt and another 100 yds on the dirt, sand and weeds near the
runway. The plane ends up in a shallow ditch. Floyd Austin turns off the
master and we depart the plane wondering what in the world has happened???
Note that the touchdown was not hard.
Our first investigation reveals that the wheels are all in their wells!? The
doors on the main gear are partially open when we raise the plane to put it
on a trailer. There is still hydraulic pressure on the right inboard door,
since I can't move it. The nose wheel is completely and nicely retracted.
Oh!, and the gear switch is still in the DOWN position.
The marks on the runway show a tail strike and prop strike at the same
place. There may be a partial rubber mark, like the side of a wheel, maybe
50' before the prop and tail strikes. The flaps are marking the runway a
little farther on down. Just before the plane leaves the runway there are
marks from the belly. Where we leave the runway, there is a gouge into the
dirt, probably where the left gear slid?
The evidence todate suggest that the gear up circuit must have activated on
final AFTER my GUMP check and the wheels are partially retracted when we
touch down. The relays are suspect due to difficulty reported on our web
site. Some builders have replaced the original equipment with Bosch relays.
I observed that the UP relay was very hot to the touch after having the
master on to run the fuel pumps while removing gasoline from the wing tanks
while the plane was on the trailer after the wreck. The main gear switch was
still in the down position. In addition the air speed squat switch was still
open, which should keep the UP relay deactivated.
Further investigation of the electrical circuits will be done. A wiring
diagram of the electric/hydraulic system is attached, also a picture of the
plane after the accident.
Floyd Austin confirms my recollections and observations described above,
particularly the events in the left downwind and of the gump check on final.
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LML website: http://www.olsusa.com/mkaye/maillist.html
LML Builders' Bookstore: http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair
Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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