OpenAirDocs.org

19970204006939I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Piper PA-34-200T · Miami, FL · February 4, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
February 4, 1997 · 10:09 local
Place
Miami, FL
Airport
Opa Locka Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N327CA
Reported as
Piper PA34200T
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
250 in this make and model120 in the last 90 days
N327CARegistered now · Piper PA-34-200TS/N 7970276 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200TEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 seriesReciprocating

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: on February 4, 1997, I was dispatched to Opa Locka Airport to investigate a reported incident of an aircraft landing and the nose landing gear collapsing on touch down. I arrived on the scene at 11:00 am. The aircraft had been recovered and moved to the air service hanger. The aircraft was on jacks and Mr. Terry ritter was inspecting the landing gear. The pilot stated that he had made a normal approach to a right down wind to runway 12. The winds were reported to be 110 to 130 at 20 knots. Upon landing the roll out was normal until suddenly the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft skidded to the left and came to a stop. He shut off the fuel and engine controls (mags) then he advised the tower of his predictament. The tower advised him that the emergency equipment was on the way. He then reported that he shut off the power, retracted the flaps and exited the aircraft. Inspection of the failed landing gear revealed that the landing gear down lock had disengaged, this allowed the nose landing gear to retract on touch down. Further investigation revealed that the rivets that attached p/n 95724-02, mount assembly had seared. This allowed the mount assembly to flex and disengage the down lock.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON FEBRUARY 4, 1997, I WAS DISPATCHED TO OPA LOCKA AIRPORT TO INVESTIGATE A REPORTED INCIDENT OF AN AIRCRAFT LANDING AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSING ON TOUCH DOWN. I ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AT 11:00 AM. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN RECOVERED AND MOVED TO THE AIR SERVICE HANGER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON JACKS AND MR. TERRY RITTER WAS INSPECTING THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD MADE A NORMAL APPROACH TO A RIGHT DOWN WIND TO RUNWAY 12. THE WINDS WERE REPORTED TO BE 110 TO 130 AT 20 KNOTS. UPON LANDING THE ROLL OUT WAS NORMAL UNTIL SUDDENLY THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO A STOP. HE SHUT OFF THE FUEL AND ENGINE CONTROLS (MAGS) THEN HE ADVISED THE TOWER OF HIS PREDICTAMENT. THE TOWER ADVISED HIM THAT THE EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT WAS ON THE WAY. HE THEN REPORTED THAT HE SHUT OFF THE POWER, RETRACTED THE FLAPS AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. INSPECTION OF THE FAILED LANDING GEAR REVEALED THAT THE LANDING GEAR DOWN LOCK HAD DISENGAGED, THIS ALLOWED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TO RETRACT ON TOUCH DOWN. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RIVETS THAT ATTACHED P/N 95724-02, MOUNT ASSEMBLY HAD SEARED. THIS ALLOWED THE MOUNT ASSEMBLY TO FLEX AND DISENGAGE THE DOWN LOCK.