Summary
- A Beechcraft King Air made a successful gear-up landing at Newcastle Airport, with all occupants safe.
- Eastern Air Services operates the Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, manufactured in 1982.
- The King Air family includes models 200 and 300, with various specifications and uses developed over time.
On Monday, May 13, a Beechcraft King Air was forced to conduct an emergency landing that included the aircraft’s landing gear in the locked upward position. The aircraft conducted the gear-up landing at Newcastle-Williamtown International Airport (NSW) in New South Wales, Australia. All three occupants of the aircraft were uninjured in the incident, per Aviation Safety Network.
Gear-up emergency landing
The aircraft, which was specifically a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, was scheduled to depart Newcastle-Williamtown International Airport (NTL) at approximately 08:00 local time. The Super King Air was planned to fly to Port Macquarie Airport (PQQ), which is also in New South Wales. However, the aircraft left slightly late, departing the airport at around 08:32 local time per Flightradar24.
Photo: Textron Aviation
Shortly after the aircraft departed the airport, the pilot and occupants noticed problems with the undercarriage of the aircraft. The Super King Air began circling the Newcastle Airport and flew in a holding pattern. This was to attempt to deploy the landing gear using manual controls. The aircraft continued in its holding pattern to burn off fuel. The King Air flew for three hours and 45 minutes to burn off a sufficient amount of fuel.
After the aircraft circled for nearly four hours, the pilot conducted a gear-up landing at Newcastle Airport’s runway 30. The landing was successful, and the aircraft only received minor damage, per Aviation Safety Net. As previously mentioned, none of the three occupants were injured in the incident.
The Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, which is registered as VH-XDV, was originally manufactured in 1982. The serial number for this aircraft is BB-1100, per FlightAware. The King Air is owned and operated by Eastern Air Services, which is based out of Port Macquarie. Eastern Air Services is registered as a non-scheduled passenger charter or air taxi.
About the King Air
Beechcraft has been producing some variants of the King Air since 1964, and over 3,000 total aircraft have been produced. Specifically, the Super King Air family of aircraft includes both the model 200 and the model 300. These vary from the original King Air by including a new t-tail and several other minor upgrades. Beechcraft officially dropped the word “super” from its designation in 1996, which means it aligns with the other existing King Air models.
Photo: Textron Aviation
Per Global Air, the Beechcraft King Air 200 has the following specifications:
|
Capacity |
10 passengers |
|---|---|
|
Length |
43 feet ten inches |
|
Wingspan |
57 feet eleven inches |
|
Height |
14 feet ten inches |
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
12,500 pounds |
|
Maximum speed |
289 knots (333 miles per hour) |
|
Cruise speed |
272 knots (313 miles per hour) |
|
Maximum range |
1,490 nautical miles (1,715 miles) |
|
Service ceiling |
35,000 feet |
Several King Air 200 family variants have been developed over the years. This includes a model built specifically for aerial surveying, a cargo variant, and several variants for the United States military.