What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: aircraft, N717SM, glass air iii, s/n 3015, pilot Mr. James miles frankard was practicing an instrument departure from Arlington under VFR conditions. Practice completed he entered Arlington traffic pattern and lowered the landing gear, did not get a green nose down light. The pilot recycled the landing gear several times and each time the nose gear did not show down and lock. He made a pass by paine field control tower. The controller said it appeared that the nose gear was not fully down and locked. The pilot decided to land at Arlington airport. Landed the aircraft with main gear down and locked, held the nose off as long as possible at the end of the landing roll aircraft veered off runway 340 to the left. Damage to the aircraft was the propeller tips was bent back. About 1/3 of the prop. Spinner was missing. The lower nose cowling damage along with nose gear doors. The glass air iii was put into the hangar and on jacks. We checked the hydraulic system for hydraulic fluid, found none. We turned on the power to the landing gear, but did not have any hydraulic power. We then removed the nose hydraulic actuator cylinder out of the system by plugging return and pressure lines. Tried swing the main gear, that time we had hydraulic power and the mains went up. However the hydraulic pump would not shut off. Next, we checked the nose gear wiring, squat switch and micro switch, which were o.k. the nose actuator cylinder was removed from the nose wheel well. The cylinder cap was removed there was found that the nut (AN364-428A and washer an 960 -D416) had backed off the hydraulic actuator rod and the stat-o-seal was pushed out of the shape between cylinder wall and end cap. The hydraulic actuator rod allowed the fluid to flow back through the system and would not let the nose gear move down and lock. Stoddard-hamilton has a service bulletin 52 main gear hydraulic actuator rod retrofit. This s.b.52 removes the AN364-428A nut and install MS21042-4 nut for the main gear only. privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: AIRCRAFT, N717SM, GLASS AIR III, S/N 3015, PILOT MR. JAMES MILES FRANKARD WAS PRACTICING AN INSTRUMENT DEPARTURE FROM ARLINGTON UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. PRACTICE COMPLETED HE ENTERED ARLINGTON TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR, DID NOT GET A GREEN NOSE DOWN LIGHT. THE PILOT RECYCLED THE LANDING GEAR SEVERAL TIMES AND EACH TIME THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT SHOW DOWN AND LOCK. HE MADE A PASS BY PAINE FIELD CONTROL TOWER. THE CONTROLLER SAID IT APPEARED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT FULLY DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND AT ARLINGTON AIRPORT. LANDED THE AIRCRAFT WITH MAIN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED, HELD THE NOSE OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AT THE END OF THE LANDING ROLL AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF RUNWAY 340 TO THE LEFT. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE PROPELLER TIPS WAS BENT BACK. ABOUT 1/3 OF THE PROP. SPINNER WAS MISSING. THE LOWER NOSE COWLING DAMAGE ALONG WITH NOSE GEAR DOORS. THE GLASS AIR III WAS PUT INTO THE HANGAR AND ON JACKS. WE CHECKED THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR HYDRAULIC FLUID, FOUND NONE. WE TURNED ON THE POWER TO THE LANDING GEAR, BUT DID NOT HAVE ANY HYDRAULIC POWER. WE THEN REMOVED THE NOSE HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR CYLINDER OUT OF THE SYSTEM BY PLUGGING RETURN AND PRESSURE LINES. TRIED SWING THE MAIN GEAR, THAT TIME WE HAD HYDRAULIC POWER AND THE MAINS WENT UP. HOWEVER THE HYDRAULIC PUMP WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. NEXT, WE CHECKED THE NOSE GEAR WIRING, SQUAT SWITCH AND MICRO SWITCH, WHICH WERE O.K. THE NOSE ACTUATOR CYLINDER WAS REMOVED FROM THE NOSE WHEEL WELL. THE CYLINDER CAP WAS REMOVED THERE WAS FOUND THAT THE NUT (AN364-428A AND WASHER AN 960 -D416) HAD BACKED OFF THE HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR ROD AND THE STAT-O-SEAL WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE SHAPE BETWEEN CYLINDER WALL AND END CAP. THE HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR ROD ALLOWED THE FLUID TO FLOW BACK THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND WOULD NOT LET THE NOSE GEAR MOVE DOWN AND LOCK. STODDARD-HAMILTON HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN 52 MAIN GEAR HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR ROD RETROFIT. THIS S.B.52 REMOVES THE AN364-428A NUT AND INSTALL MS21042-4 NUT FOR THE MAIN GEAR ONLY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^