What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Landing gear problems on approach, manually lowered gear, engine surged, landed short of runway,nose gear retracted (.4)the airplane's nose landing gear would not extend. During the attempts to extend the nose gear the pilot said he pitched the airplane up and down. The propeller began cavitating during these attempts. The pilot reported loosing oil pressure as he approached the runway. When he felt he would be able to land the pilot said he stopped the engine. He said the airplane '...just quit flying....' The airplane collided with the ground about 150 yards short of the runway threshold. Inspection of the airplane revealed an open oil sump quick-drain fitting and a broken nose gear retracting actuator arm (arm). The bottom of the airplane was covered with oil. About 50 percent of the arm's fracture surfaces were corroded. Representatives from the airframe stated the failed arm will allow the landing gear to be free in the nosegear well. The oil quick-drain finger-holds can be contacted by the nosegear when the airplane is pitched up and down. The propeller manufacturer stated the propeller will go into a high blade angle when the oil supply stopped. He said the rotating propeller will cause a considerable amount of drag if it is still rotating. (-23) pilot departed fairmont MN VFR to Yankton, SD. Upon arriving at Yankton, the nose gear did not extend completely. The pilot could not extend the nose gear through "emergency extension procedures." The main gear did extend and lock through normal and emergency procedures. While attempting to solve the problem, the engine oil pressure and RPM became erratic and fluctuating. Pilot secured the engine for an emergency landing. The aircraft laned short of the threshold. No fire. No injuries.
As the FAA filed it
LANDING GEAR PROBLEMS ON APPROACH, MANUALLY LOWERED GEAR, ENGINE SURGED, LANDED SHORT OF RUNWAY,NOSE GEAR RETRACTED (.4)THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND. DURING THE ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR THE PILOT SAID HE PITCHED THE AIRPLANE UP AND DOWN. THE PROPELLER BEGAN CAVITATING DURING THESE ATTEMPTS. THE PILOT REPORTED LOOSING OIL PRESSURE AS HE APPROACHED THE RUNWAY. WHEN HE FELT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO LAND THE PILOT SAID HE STOPPED THE ENGINE. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE '...JUST QUIT FLYING....' THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND ABOUT 150 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED AN OPEN OIL SUMP QUICK-DRAIN FITTING AND A BROKEN NOSE GEAR RETRACTING ACTUATOR ARM (ARM). THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRPLANE WAS COVERED WITH OIL. ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THE ARM'S FRACTURE SURFACES WERE CORRODED. REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE AIRFRAME STATED THE FAILED ARM WILL ALLOW THE LANDING GEAR TO BE FREE IN THE NOSEGEAR WELL. THE OIL QUICK-DRAIN FINGER-HOLDS CAN BE CONTACTED BY THE NOSEGEAR WHEN THE AIRPLANE IS PITCHED UP AND DOWN. THE PROPELLER MANUFACTURER STATED THE PROPELLER WILL GO INTO A HIGH BLADE ANGLE WHEN THE OIL SUPPLY STOPPED. HE SAID THE ROTATING PROPELLER WILL CAUSE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF DRAG IF IT IS STILL ROTATING. (-23) PILOT DEPARTED FAIRMONT MN VFR TO YANKTON, SD. UPON ARRIVING AT YANKTON, THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT EXTEND COMPLETELY. THE PILOT COULD NOT EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR THROUGH "EMERGENCY EXTENSION PROCEDURES." THE MAIN GEAR DID EXTEND AND LOCK THROUGH NORMAL AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE AND RPM BECAME ERRATIC AND FLUCTUATING. PILOT SECURED THE ENGINE FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT LANED SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD. NO FIRE. NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.