What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: when we extended the landing gear, we had an unsafe gear indication and a visual inspection confirmed the left main gear was in the up position. We performed a manual gear extension and when the left main up-lock released, the gear extended very violently. We still had an unsafe indication and this time a visual check revealed the left main gear side/down-locking brace was broken just below the locking knuckle with the upper and lower portions of the broken brace, and the landing gear, swinging freely. We circled the airport while they amassed emergency equipment for our landing. Initial touchdown was on the right main and when the left main did touch, it remained upright for a short time before slowly folding outward. As that gear collapsed, the ends of the broken brace became lodged against the strut and held the gear at something less than a 45 degree angle, supporting the aircraft on the side of the tire. We had shut down all four engines during the landing roll and, as soon as the aircraft had stopped, the passengers left the aircraft as briefed. We turned off all electrical power and also left the aircraft. There were no injuries and damage to the aircraft was minimal. The aircraft operated by the confederate airforce, landed at Deer valley airport with the LH main landing gear drag link broken into half and the gear partially collapsed. The captain stated, "the crew experienced an unsafe gear indication of the LH gear. The gear extended very violently after completion of the manual gear extension. The gear still indicated an unsafe condition, visual check revealed the left main gear down drag link was broken. They circled the airport while ground support amassed emergency equipment. On initial touch down the left gear remained extended for a short time before slowly folding outward. As the LH main gear collapsed, the broken ends of brace lodged against strut and held the gear at approximately 45 degree angle supporting gear. Emergency procedures were accomplished, passengers left the aircraft as briefed." The aircraft came to rest on runway 25L with LH gear partially collapsed resting on the sidewall of the tire. Ground crew repositioned aircraft for repairs. Inspection revealed the drag link broken in half along the welded seamline, inboard aft engine nacelle fairing where the gear struck the skin, and approximately 4 ply's of the inboard sidewall of the tire. No additional damage was observed.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: WHEN WE EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR, WE HAD AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION AND A VISUAL INSPECTION CONFIRMED THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS IN THE UP POSITION. WE PERFORMED A MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION AND WHEN THE LEFT MAIN UP-LOCK RELEASED, THE GEAR EXTENDED VERY VIOLENTLY. WE STILL HAD AN UNSAFE INDICATION AND THIS TIME A VISUAL CHECK REVEALED THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SIDE/DOWN-LOCKING BRACE WAS BROKEN JUST BELOW THE LOCKING KNUCKLE WITH THE UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS OF THE BROKEN BRACE, AND THE LANDING GEAR, SWINGING FREELY. WE CIRCLED THE AIRPORT WHILE THEY AMASSED EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT FOR OUR LANDING. INITIAL TOUCHDOWN WAS ON THE RIGHT MAIN AND WHEN THE LEFT MAIN DID TOUCH, IT REMAINED UPRIGHT FOR A SHORT TIME BEFORE SLOWLY FOLDING OUTWARD. AS THAT GEAR COLLAPSED, THE ENDS OF THE BROKEN BRACE BECAME LODGED AGAINST THE STRUT AND HELD THE GEAR AT SOMETHING LESS THAN A 45 DEGREE ANGLE, SUPPORTING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE SIDE OF THE TIRE. WE HAD SHUT DOWN ALL FOUR ENGINES DURING THE LANDING ROLL AND, AS SOON AS THE AIRCRAFT HAD STOPPED, THE PASSENGERS LEFT THE AIRCRAFT AS BRIEFED. WE TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND ALSO LEFT THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS MINIMAL. THE AIRCRAFT OPERATED BY THE CONFEDERATE AIRFORCE, LANDED AT DEER VALLEY AIRPORT WITH THE LH MAIN LANDING GEAR DRAG LINK BROKEN INTO HALF AND THE GEAR PARTIALLY COLLAPSED. THE CAPTAIN STATED, "THE CREW EXPERIENCED AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION OF THE LH GEAR. THE GEAR EXTENDED VERY VIOLENTLY AFTER COMPLETION OF THE MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION. THE GEAR STILL INDICATED AN UNSAFE CONDITION, VISUAL CHECK REVEALED THE LEFT MAIN GEAR DOWN DRAG LINK WAS BROKEN. THEY CIRCLED THE AIRPORT WHILE GROUND SUPPORT AMASSED EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT. ON INITIAL TOUCH DOWN THE LEFT GEAR REMAINED EXTENDED FOR A SHORT TIME BEFORE SLOWLY FOLDING OUTWARD. AS THE LH MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED, THE BROKEN ENDS OF BRACE LODGED AGAINST STRUT AND HELD THE GEAR AT APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREE ANGLE SUPPORTING GEAR. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WERE ACCOMPLISHED, PASSENGERS LEFT THE AIRCRAFT AS BRIEFED." THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON RUNWAY 25L WITH LH GEAR PARTIALLY COLLAPSED RESTING ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. GROUND CREW REPOSITIONED AIRCRAFT FOR REPAIRS. INSPECTION REVEALED THE DRAG LINK BROKEN IN HALF ALONG THE WELDED SEAMLINE, INBOARD AFT ENGINE NACELLE FAIRING WHERE THE GEAR STRUCK THE SKIN, AND APPROXIMATELY 4 PLY'S OF THE INBOARD SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED.
Other reports on N24927 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.