19960514028949I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Socata TB20TRINIDAD · Indianapolis, IN · May 14, 1996

Date: May 14, 1996 · 16:16 local
Place: Indianapolis, IN
Airport: Indianapolis International
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N20FF
Reported as: Socata TB20TRINIDAD
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540C4D5
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 350 total90 in this make and model8 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: while inbound to mqj from lwv, nose gear would not indicate "down and locked". At suggestion of ATC, diverted to ind under VFR. Nose gear collapsed on landing. Marks on runway indicated aircraft touched down on all three wheels at same time with four prop strikes while aircraft skidded approx. 350 ft., coming to rest approx. 459 ft. from the threshold. Inspection of aircraft revealed that one of the nose gear emergency extension compensators had failed or was defective. Normal system extension failure seemed to be due to a failed electrical relay. Damage to the aircraft was minimal.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: WHILE INBOUND TO MQJ FROM LWV, NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT INDICATE "DOWN AND LOCKED". AT SUGGESTION OF ATC, DIVERTED TO IND UNDER VFR. NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON LANDING. MARKS ON RUNWAY INDICATED AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON ALL THREE WHEELS AT SAME TIME WITH FOUR PROP STRIKES WHILE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED APPROX. 350 FT., COMING TO REST APPROX. 459 FT. FROM THE THRESHOLD. INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE NOSE GEAR EMERGENCY EXTENSION COMPENSATORS HAD FAILED OR WAS DEFECTIVE. NORMAL SYSTEM EXTENSION FAILURE SEEMED TO BE DUE TO A FAILED ELECTRICAL RELAY. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS MINIMAL.