19970816038619I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA32R300 · Pittsburgh, PA · August 16, 1997

Date: August 16, 1997 · 18:35 local
Place: Pittsburgh, PA
Airport: Greater Pittsburgh International
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: CGGPH
Reported as: Piper PA32R300
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,600 total2,500 in this make and model45 in the last 90 days

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: the pilot stated during a telephone conversation: "was diverting into Pittsburgh international due to weather and was told to keep the speed up." The pilot further stated that he kept the landing gear up until 300 ft. AGL, then lowered the landing gear and got two green lights (mains) and one red light. The pilot then stated that he landed, keeping the nose wheel off as long as possible-then the propeller and nose hit the ground. Investigation of this incident showed that the nose landing gear drag brace was separated at nose gear trunnion attachment. Nose trunnion casting shattered at attachment locations. Submission of this report closes this incident.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: THE PILOT STATED DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION: "WAS DIVERTING INTO PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL DUE TO WEATHER AND WAS TOLD TO KEEP THE SPEED UP." THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE KEPT THE LANDING GEAR UP UNTIL 300 FT. AGL, THEN LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AND GOT TWO GREEN LIGHTS (MAINS) AND ONE RED LIGHT. THE PILOT THEN STATED THAT HE LANDED, KEEPING THE NOSE WHEEL OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE-THEN THE PROPELLER AND NOSE HIT THE GROUND. INVESTIGATION OF THIS INCIDENT SHOWED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DRAG BRACE WAS SEPARATED AT NOSE GEAR TRUNNION ATTACHMENT. NOSE TRUNNION CASTING SHATTERED AT ATTACHMENT LOCATIONS. SUBMISSION OF THIS REPORT CLOSES THIS INCIDENT.