What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: pilot statement; N444FE departed ays at approximately 9:30 EST with one passenger for VFR flight to pdk. Upon entering the traffic pattern the gear was lowered with green lights on the left and right gear and no green on the nose gear. At that time, I notified the tower I was turning out of the traffic pattern because I was not getting a green light on the nose gear. I swapped the nose gear indicator bulb with the right gear indicator bulb to see if it was a burned out bulb. This did not correct the problem. The nose gear indicator did not show a positive gear down indication. I informed the tower that I was not getting a positive indication of my nose gear and asked for permission for a fly-by. This was granted and the tower confirmed that I had no nose gear, but that the gear doors were open. I then informed the tower that I would break out of the pattern and try stalls and other maneuvers with the hope that I could shake the nose gear down. After several attempts to shake the nose gear down, I asked the tower for another fly-by where it could be checked visually. The tower confirmed that there was still no nose gear extension. At that point, I broke out of the pattern to ascertain the best option and procedure. I asked the tower for permission to land on runway 34, north of the intersection of runway 2 left in order to minimize any traffic interruptions. The emergency equipment was placed at the point where I expected to touch down. A normal landing on the main gear was executed and when the airplane was firmly on the runway and the nose gear held up, I attempted to kill the engines with the mixture control. This was not successfully executed and the nose fell over when control was lost. This resulted in prop strikes on both propellers and a minimum of nose damage to the airplane. The pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane over the wing with no injuries. The aircraft was then removed from runway 34 by epps aviation with no further damage. The tower controller and the emergency response people were extremely helpful and executed in a very professional manner. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (404) 656-5040.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: PILOT STATEMENT; N444FE DEPARTED AYS AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 EST WITH ONE PASSENGER FOR VFR FLIGHT TO PDK. UPON ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN THE GEAR WAS LOWERED WITH GREEN LIGHTS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT GEAR AND NO GREEN ON THE NOSE GEAR. AT THAT TIME, I NOTIFIED THE TOWER I WAS TURNING OUT OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN BECAUSE I WAS NOT GETTING A GREEN LIGHT ON THE NOSE GEAR. I SWAPPED THE NOSE GEAR INDICATOR BULB WITH THE RIGHT GEAR INDICATOR BULB TO SEE IF IT WAS A BURNED OUT BULB. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE NOSE GEAR INDICATOR DID NOT SHOW A POSITIVE GEAR DOWN INDICATION. I INFORMED THE TOWER THAT I WAS NOT GETTING A POSITIVE INDICATION OF MY NOSE GEAR AND ASKED FOR PERMISSION FOR A FLY-BY. THIS WAS GRANTED AND THE TOWER CONFIRMED THAT I HAD NO NOSE GEAR, BUT THAT THE GEAR DOORS WERE OPEN. I THEN INFORMED THE TOWER THAT I WOULD BREAK OUT OF THE PATTERN AND TRY STALLS AND OTHER MANEUVERS WITH THE HOPE THAT I COULD SHAKE THE NOSE GEAR DOWN. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO SHAKE THE NOSE GEAR DOWN, I ASKED THE TOWER FOR ANOTHER FLY-BY WHERE IT COULD BE CHECKED VISUALLY. THE TOWER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS STILL NO NOSE GEAR EXTENSION. AT THAT POINT, I BROKE OUT OF THE PATTERN TO ASCERTAIN THE BEST OPTION AND PROCEDURE. I ASKED THE TOWER FOR PERMISSION TO LAND ON RUNWAY 34, NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF RUNWAY 2 LEFT IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE ANY TRAFFIC INTERRUPTIONS. THE EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT WAS PLACED AT THE POINT WHERE I EXPECTED TO TOUCH DOWN. A NORMAL LANDING ON THE MAIN GEAR WAS EXECUTED AND WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS FIRMLY ON THE RUNWAY AND THE NOSE GEAR HELD UP, I ATTEMPTED TO KILL THE ENGINES WITH THE MIXTURE CONTROL. THIS WAS NOT SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED AND THE NOSE FELL OVER WHEN CONTROL WAS LOST. THIS RESULTED IN PROP STRIKES ON BOTH PROPELLERS AND A MINIMUM OF NOSE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRPLANE OVER THE WING WITH NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN REMOVED FROM RUNWAY 34 BY EPPS AVIATION WITH NO FURTHER DAMAGE. THE TOWER CONTROLLER AND THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PEOPLE WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND EXECUTED IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL MANNER. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AT (404) 656-5040.
Other reports on N444FE · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.