OpenAirDocs.org

19960122002869I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Cessna 550 · Greensboro, NC · January 22, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
January 22, 1996 · 06:55 local
Place
Greensboro, NC
Airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7798D
Reported as
Cessna 550
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,500 total450 in this make and model120 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on January 22, 1996, at approximately 0655 EDT a Cessna 550, N7798D, registered to simpson te, experienced a no gear extension indication during final approach at charlotte airport. He then flew by the control tower in charlotte. The control tower then gave them a notification that the landing gear was not in the down position. The pilot then elected to return back to winston-salem, NC but instead he decided to land at Piedmont Triad International Airport, north carolina. During this time the crew tried to extend the landing gears through the back up system, but to no avail except for the nose gear. He then flew by the control tower in Greensboro. The control tower then gave them a notification that the main gears were up except for the nose gear. He then flew by the control tower in Greensboro. The control tower then gave them a notification that the main gears were up except for the nose gear. The aircraft landed without its main gear, came to rest on runway 23. The aircraft received minor damage to both flaps and fuselage. Further into the investigation at the Cessna citation service center, it was found that the hydraulic valve-open center bypass cannon plug was loose from the unit causing it to be inoperative. Also, during numerous gear retract tests it was found that there is a possibility that the emergency gear release system rigging could have been off by 0.25 inch from tee handle travel, thus preventing the uplock hooks to release the main gears.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON JANUARY 22, 1996, AT APPROXIMATELY 0655 EDT A CESSNA 550, N7798D, REGISTERED TO SIMPSON TE, EXPERIENCED A NO GEAR EXTENSION INDICATION DURING FINAL APPROACH AT CHARLOTTE AIRPORT. HE THEN FLEW BY THE CONTROL TOWER IN CHARLOTTE. THE CONTROL TOWER THEN GAVE THEM A NOTIFICATION THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE PILOT THEN ELECTED TO RETURN BACK TO WINSTON-SALEM, NC BUT INSTEAD HE DECIDED TO LAND AT PIEDMONT TRIAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NORTH CAROLINA. DURING THIS TIME THE CREW TRIED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEARS THROUGH THE BACK UP SYSTEM, BUT TO NO AVAIL EXCEPT FOR THE NOSE GEAR. HE THEN FLEW BY THE CONTROL TOWER IN GREENSBORO. THE CONTROL TOWER THEN GAVE THEM A NOTIFICATION THAT THE MAIN GEARS WERE UP EXCEPT FOR THE NOSE GEAR. HE THEN FLEW BY THE CONTROL TOWER IN GREENSBORO. THE CONTROL TOWER THEN GAVE THEM A NOTIFICATION THAT THE MAIN GEARS WERE UP EXCEPT FOR THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT ITS MAIN GEAR, CAME TO REST ON RUNWAY 23. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE TO BOTH FLAPS AND FUSELAGE. FURTHER INTO THE INVESTIGATION AT THE CESSNA CITATION SERVICE CENTER, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE HYDRAULIC VALVE-OPEN CENTER BYPASS CANNON PLUG WAS LOOSE FROM THE UNIT CAUSING IT TO BE INOPERATIVE. ALSO, DURING NUMEROUS GEAR RETRACT TESTS IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE EMERGENCY GEAR RELEASE SYSTEM RIGGING COULD HAVE BEEN OFF BY 0.25 INCH FROM TEE HANDLE TRAVEL, THUS PREVENTING THE UPLOCK HOOKS TO RELEASE THE MAIN GEARS.