19970821026809A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-34-200 · Kissimmee, FL · August 21, 1997

Date: August 21, 1997 · 15:30 local
Place: Kissimmee, FL
Airport: Kissimmee Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N55322
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA97LA238
Reported as: Piper PA34200
Reported engine: Lycoming IO360C1E6
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 257 total4 in this make and model

N55322Registration cancelled Apr 22, 2013 · Piper PA-34-200S/N 34-7350201 · Built 1973 Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200 Engine modelLycoming I0360 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.

Unable extend nose gear. Landed hard dragged a wing. Nose steering ball outside of its track. Blocked nose gear. (-23) on approach to Kissimmee airport, nose gear would not extend. Pilot made several passes over the tower to verify the problem. Pilot made a nose gear up landing. At this point the aircraft hit very hard causing substantial damage to the left and right wings. When aircraft was put on jacks and nose gear extended by hand it was revealed that the steering ball was outside of its track causing the nose gear not to extend. This problem could be caused by oversteering or extending tow bar limits.

As the FAA filed it

UNABLE EXTEND NOSE GEAR. LANDED HARD DRAGGED A WING. NOSE STEERING BALL OUTSIDE OF ITS TRACK. BLOCKED NOSE GEAR. (-23) ON APPROACH TO KISSIMMEE AIRPORT, NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND. PILOT MADE SEVERAL PASSES OVER THE TOWER TO VERIFY THE PROBLEM. PILOT MADE A NOSE GEAR UP LANDING. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT HIT VERY HARD CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS. WHEN AIRCRAFT WAS PUT ON JACKS AND NOSE GEAR EXTENDED BY HAND IT WAS REVEALED THAT THE STEERING BALL WAS OUTSIDE OF ITS TRACK CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR NOT TO EXTEND. THIS PROBLEM COULD BE CAUSED BY OVERSTEERING OR EXTENDING TOW BAR LIMITS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA97LA238Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportKissimmee, FLa hard landing resulting in a wing contacting the runway. A factor in this accident was the nose landing gear would not extend due to the steering ball being off its track.Aug 21, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N55322 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19890618036529IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Isabel, SDLeft engine fire. Shut off fuel and fire quit. Safe landing. Connecting rod bolts had stretched,shoving out piston.Jun 18, 1989 · Minor damage Accident 19760420013979AIn Traffic Pattern-Circling · Lexington, KYNose gr centering roller out of track.Apr 20, 1976 · Substantial damage