Originally Posted by
Tu.114
In the last second of LookingForAJobs video, the collapsed gear is shown. It is remarkable that the rear gear doors appear open; they only open during extension and retraction and, in case of extension, close some seconds after the leg has been locked down. This door should definitely be closed in this flight phase. It is not linked to the landing gear struts in any way (unlike the forward doors that stay open when the gear is extended) but has its own hydraulic cylinder and its movement is sequenced by the PSEU (Proximity Switch Electronic Unit). So why this door is open in this situation is not really clear to me.
The gear in the same video looks to be in an intermediate position between uplock and downlock, i. e. failed in the direction of normal retraction. The correct function of the downlock will therefore likely be of relevance in the investigation.
I noticed that too Tu.114 but the doors don't appear to be open on the video shot from near the threshold shortly before touchdown.
I suspect that when it first touched down the gear smashed through the doors at the point you can hear the props hitting the ground. The prop then raises off the ground again shortly after, the gear probably dropped again dragging the doors open with it until it finally settled onto the nacelle.
The bit that amazes me is that the damaged propellers don't seem to have pinged off like I would have expected, they seem to have stayed remarkably attached despite being dragged along the runway.