What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: pilot's statement - at approx. 2030 hrs. I joined the localizer for rwy 15 in bgr. Turbulence was moderate, occasionally severe. I put the gear selector in the down position inside the outer marker and heard a "snap" sound in the nose section. The green indicator light did not come on for the nose, so I went missed approach. After a second approach produced the same results I climbed to 5,000' and smoother air and attempted to get the nose gear down by hydraulic hand pump, kicking the rudders, and positive g's. I flew around for about 1 hour with my passenger helping me, but to no avail. We came back for a landing with low fuel and made a nose gear up landing. There were no injuries. Further investigation on site, found the NLG hydraulic actuator rod end attach bolt and associated hardware to drag brace was missing. This condition was observed by city of Bangor maintenance supervisor tim hersey who supervised the removal of the aircraft from rwy 15 to dock 11 storage hangar. Unable to locate bolt and its hardware. No apparent damage to rod end or casting on drag brace. An inspection of the aircraft found the following damage resulting from this incident: 1) both props had all blades curved at tips approx. 15" aft. (3 bladed props.). 2) both pitot tubes ground down over 50% of masts. 3) nose section of fuselage worn down over an 8"w by 16"l area with a small section worn through. 4) blade antenna fwd of pitot tubes ground down to base. 5) both NLG doors ground down.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: PILOT'S STATEMENT - AT APPROX. 2030 HRS. I JOINED THE LOCALIZER FOR RWY 15 IN BGR. TURBULENCE WAS MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY SEVERE. I PUT THE GEAR SELECTOR IN THE DOWN POSITION INSIDE THE OUTER MARKER AND HEARD A "SNAP" SOUND IN THE NOSE SECTION. THE GREEN INDICATOR LIGHT DID NOT COME ON FOR THE NOSE, SO I WENT MISSED APPROACH. AFTER A SECOND APPROACH PRODUCED THE SAME RESULTS I CLIMBED TO 5,000' AND SMOOTHER AIR AND ATTEMPTED TO GET THE NOSE GEAR DOWN BY HYDRAULIC HAND PUMP, KICKING THE RUDDERS, AND POSITIVE G'S. I FLEW AROUND FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR WITH MY PASSENGER HELPING ME, BUT TO NO AVAIL. WE CAME BACK FOR A LANDING WITH LOW FUEL AND MADE A NOSE GEAR UP LANDING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON SITE, FOUND THE NLG HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR ROD END ATTACH BOLT AND ASSOCIATED HARDWARE TO DRAG BRACE WAS MISSING. THIS CONDITION WAS OBSERVED BY CITY OF BANGOR MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR TIM HERSEY WHO SUPERVISED THE REMOVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM RWY 15 TO DOCK 11 STORAGE HANGAR. UNABLE TO LOCATE BOLT AND ITS HARDWARE. NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO ROD END OR CASTING ON DRAG BRACE. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE RESULTING FROM THIS INCIDENT: 1) BOTH PROPS HAD ALL BLADES CURVED AT TIPS APPROX. 15" AFT. (3 BLADED PROPS.). 2) BOTH PITOT TUBES GROUND DOWN OVER 50% OF MASTS. 3) NOSE SECTION OF FUSELAGE WORN DOWN OVER AN 8"W BY 16"L AREA WITH A SMALL SECTION WORN THROUGH. 4) BLADE ANTENNA FWD OF PITOT TUBES GROUND DOWN TO BASE. 5) BOTH NLG DOORS GROUND DOWN.
Other reports on N628HA · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.