# Accident 19970821026809A: Piper PA34200, Kissimmee, FL, August 21, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 21, 1997, 15:30 local time
- Place: Kissimmee, FL
- Airport: Kissimmee Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.3000° N, 81.4102° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.3000&lon=-81.4102&mi=10
- Aircraft: N55322, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N55322-2013-04-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200 (registry code 7103405, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200
- Reported engine: LYC IO360C1E6
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 257 total, 4 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA97LA238](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA238) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970821026809A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA97LA238](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA238), Aug 21, 1997: Piper PA-34-200 (N55322), Kissimmee, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: a 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.

## Other reports on N55322 (2)

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

- [Incident 19890618036529I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890618036529I), Jun 18, 1989: Piper PA34200 (N55322), Isabel, SD, Minor damage. Left engine fire. Shut off fuel and fire quit. Safe landing. Connecting rod bolts had stretched,shoving out piston.
- [Accident 19760420013979A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19760420013979A), Apr 20, 1976: Piper PA34200 (N55322), Lexington, KY, Substantial damage. Nose gr centering roller out of track.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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