What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: pilot departed st. Cloud airport (STC) for short cross country flight to anoka county airport (ane). While on approach to ane, the landing gear was selected to the down position. Landing gear down and locked indication was not indicated. Pilot reports that although he "felt" three distinct thumps similar to normal gear extension, he did not believe that the nose gear had locked. Pilot departed ane traffic pattern and continued to attempt gear extension utilizing alternate means. It was determined by the pilot that due to situation, a return to STC would be prudent. While enroute ane-stc, several more attempts at extending the gear were made, utilizing both normal and emergency methods. Pilot landed at STC and kept the nose wheel in the air as long as possible until speed was bled off. Upon touchdown of the nose wheel the nose landing gear retracted into the wheel well. Aircraft sustained minor damage, there were no injuries to pilot or passengers. Subsequent investigation revealed confirmed mechanical failure of the nose landing gear locking mechanism. Specifically, two (2) each lock pins had sheared within the bearing end fork allowing the pins to migrate inward, thus creating a sufficient barrier which inhibited the gear assembly from completing the necessary travel to assure a proper down and locked position.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: PILOT DEPARTED ST. CLOUD AIRPORT (STC) FOR SHORT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO ANOKA COUNTY AIRPORT (ANE). WHILE ON APPROACH TO ANE, THE LANDING GEAR WAS SELECTED TO THE DOWN POSITION. LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION WAS NOT INDICATED. PILOT REPORTS THAT ALTHOUGH HE "FELT" THREE DISTINCT THUMPS SIMILAR TO NORMAL GEAR EXTENSION, HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE NOSE GEAR HAD LOCKED. PILOT DEPARTED ANE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT GEAR EXTENSION UTILIZING ALTERNATE MEANS. IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE PILOT THAT DUE TO SITUATION, A RETURN TO STC WOULD BE PRUDENT. WHILE ENROUTE ANE-STC, SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS AT EXTENDING THE GEAR WERE MADE, UTILIZING BOTH NORMAL AND EMERGENCY METHODS. PILOT LANDED AT STC AND KEPT THE NOSE WHEEL IN THE AIR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE UNTIL SPEED WAS BLED OFF. UPON TOUCHDOWN OF THE NOSE WHEEL THE NOSE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED INTO THE WHEEL WELL. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PILOT OR PASSENGERS. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED CONFIRMED MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR LOCKING MECHANISM. SPECIFICALLY, TWO (2) EACH LOCK PINS HAD SHEARED WITHIN THE BEARING END FORK ALLOWING THE PINS TO MIGRATE INWARD, THUS CREATING A SUFFICIENT BARRIER WHICH INHIBITED THE GEAR ASSEMBLY FROM COMPLETING THE NECESSARY TRAVEL TO ASSURE A PROPER DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION.
Other reports on N1727R · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.