What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: reporting inspector was at ojc & became aware of a landing gear problem being experienced by PIC of N6939N. A/c made low pass so that ojc ATCT could observe gear position, then approached to land (PIC chose to make t&g). A/c returned for landing, touching down on mains as PIC held nose gear off the rwy as long as possible. A/c continued rolling out & had nearly come to a stop when nose gear collapsed. A/c skidded approximately 20 feet. Damage limited to propeller, exhaust stack & nose gear doors. There was no fire & the PIC (only occupant) was not injured. N6939'S tail was lowered so that an A&P mech. Could inspect & secure the nose gear. He noticed pressure against the actuator & entered the cockpit to verify gear down switch & motor circuitry. He then pumped the manual extension handle 3 times & the nose gear locked into place. The a/c was then towed to executive aircraft engines hangar. The a/c was put on jacks & the nose gear ass'y was thoroughly inspected. A total of 6 gear retraction/extension tests were performed: 5 with landing gear switch & motor and 1 manual (emergency) extension. The landing gear system functioned satisfactorily. The PIC was interviewed & the landing gear system and its associated checklist was reviewed. The PIC demonstrated an adequate knowledge of the procedures associated with operating the landing gear & the emergency procedures associated with operating the landing gear & the emergency procedures. PIC stated that he pumped the handle more than he thought he should have to & that it never firmed up, a sign that the gear was completely extended. It was evident from observing the cockpit after the incident that the manual extension handle was extended & had been used. The A&P had no immediate explanation as to why the PIC could not fully extend the nose gear manually while in flight; yet the system appeared to function properly while the a/c was on jacks. His intention is to dismantle the nose gear actuator & report any findings. N6939N is registered to: orion construction, inc. privacy data omitted The PIC is the president of the corporation. The purpose of the flight was to pick up an employee in herrignton, KS & transport him to a job site in the wichita area. Upon arrival at herrington the PIC discovered that the landing gear safe light would not illuminate & elected to return to ojc. This incident, no.CE96IGA0080, is closed.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: REPORTING INSPECTOR WAS AT OJC & BECAME AWARE OF A LANDING GEAR PROBLEM BEING EXPERIENCED BY PIC OF N6939N. A/C MADE LOW PASS SO THAT OJC ATCT COULD OBSERVE GEAR POSITION, THEN APPROACHED TO LAND (PIC CHOSE TO MAKE T&G). A/C RETURNED FOR LANDING, TOUCHING DOWN ON MAINS AS PIC HELD NOSE GEAR OFF THE RWY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. A/C CONTINUED ROLLING OUT & HAD NEARLY COME TO A STOP WHEN NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. A/C SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET. DAMAGE LIMITED TO PROPELLER, EXHAUST STACK & NOSE GEAR DOORS. THERE WAS NO FIRE & THE PIC (ONLY OCCUPANT) WAS NOT INJURED. N6939'S TAIL WAS LOWERED SO THAT AN A&P MECH. COULD INSPECT & SECURE THE NOSE GEAR. HE NOTICED PRESSURE AGAINST THE ACTUATOR & ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO VERIFY GEAR DOWN SWITCH & MOTOR CIRCUITRY. HE THEN PUMPED THE MANUAL EXTENSION HANDLE 3 TIMES & THE NOSE GEAR LOCKED INTO PLACE. THE A/C WAS THEN TOWED TO EXECUTIVE AIRCRAFT ENGINES HANGAR. THE A/C WAS PUT ON JACKS & THE NOSE GEAR ASS'Y WAS THOROUGHLY INSPECTED. A TOTAL OF 6 GEAR RETRACTION/EXTENSION TESTS WERE PERFORMED: 5 WITH LANDING GEAR SWITCH & MOTOR AND 1 MANUAL (EMERGENCY) EXTENSION. THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM FUNCTIONED SATISFACTORILY. THE PIC WAS INTERVIEWED & THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM AND ITS ASSOCIATED CHECKLIST WAS REVIEWED. THE PIC DEMONSTRATED AN ADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROCEDURES ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATING THE LANDING GEAR & THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATING THE LANDING GEAR & THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. PIC STATED THAT HE PUMPED THE HANDLE MORE THAN HE THOUGHT HE SHOULD HAVE TO & THAT IT NEVER FIRMED UP, A SIGN THAT THE GEAR WAS COMPLETELY EXTENDED. IT WAS EVIDENT FROM OBSERVING THE COCKPIT AFTER THE INCIDENT THAT THE MANUAL EXTENSION HANDLE WAS EXTENDED & HAD BEEN USED. THE A&P HAD NO IMMEDIATE EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE PIC COULD NOT FULLY EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR MANUALLY WHILE IN FLIGHT; YET THE SYSTEM APPEARED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY WHILE THE A/C WAS ON JACKS. HIS INTENTION IS TO DISMANTLE THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR & REPORT ANY FINDINGS. N6939N IS REGISTERED TO: ORION CONSTRUCTION, INC. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE PIC IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CORPORATION. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PICK UP AN EMPLOYEE IN HERRIGNTON, KS & TRANSPORT HIM TO A JOB SITE IN THE WICHITA AREA. UPON ARRIVAL AT HERRINGTON THE PIC DISCOVERED THAT THE LANDING GEAR SAFE LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE & ELECTED TO RETURN TO OJC. THIS INCIDENT, NO.CE96IGA0080, IS CLOSED.
Other reports on N6939N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.