19970822032489I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Blanca 17-30A · Gainesville, FL · August 22, 1997

Date
August 22, 1997 · 20:50 local
Place
Gainesville, FL
Airport
Gainesville Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8207R
Reported as
Blanca 1730A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,100 total2 in this make and model27 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: on August 22, 1997 at approximately 1930 local, the pilot, Dr. Giuseppe basile and his passenger, Mr. James e. young, departed Gainesville Regional Airport, Gainesville, FL flying a Bellanca 17-30A, N8207A, intending to practice proficiency ILS instrument approaches to runway 28, Gainesville. The first approach was normal and as intended, a missed approach was initiated at 300 feet and the gear was retracted. During the second approach it was noted that the gear did not extend and the red gear warning light was illuminated. Recycling the gear and a circuit breaker check did not alleviate the condition. Utilizing the emergency extension system the main gear extended and locked in the down position as indicated by the two main gear green lights. The nose gear did not. Numerous attempts using "gravity force" as a means of locking the nose gear failed. A fly-by of the tower and emergency equipment personnel determined that the gear was down. The indication in the cockpit showed that the nose gear was not locked in the down position. The pilot elected to make a normal approach and landing holding the nose gear clear of the runway as long as possible, cutting the mixture when appropriate and opening the cabin door prior to nose wheel contact. The nose wheel collapsed on roll out. The aircraft stopped on the runway. The pilot and passenger evacuated the aircraft after completing the cockpit secure procedures. No injuries to personnel and the aircraft received minor damage to the bottom of the engine cowling. The engine has been torn down and inspected. The crank shaft was not damaged. Maintenance inspection determined that the electric landing gear hydraulic pump motor failed, a component of the hydraulic power pack , part number HYC-5005, manufactured by prestolight. Investigation into the nose wheel failing to lower and lock in the down position, utilizing the emergency extension system, may be attributed to age resulting in reduced tensile strength of the nose gear springs that assist in locking the nose gear in the extended position.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON AUGUST 22, 1997 AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 LOCAL, THE PILOT, DR. GIUSEPPE BASILE AND HIS PASSENGER, MR. JAMES E. YOUNG, DEPARTED GAINESVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT, GAINESVILLE, FL FLYING A BELLANCA 17-30A, N8207A, INTENDING TO PRACTICE PROFICIENCY ILS INSTRUMENT APPROACHES TO RUNWAY 28, GAINESVILLE. THE FIRST APPROACH WAS NORMAL AND AS INTENDED, A MISSED APPROACH WAS INITIATED AT 300 FEET AND THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED. DURING THE SECOND APPROACH IT WAS NOTED THAT THE GEAR DID NOT EXTEND AND THE RED GEAR WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. RECYCLING THE GEAR AND A CIRCUIT BREAKER CHECK DID NOT ALLEVIATE THE CONDITION. UTILIZING THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION SYSTEM THE MAIN GEAR EXTENDED AND LOCKED IN THE DOWN POSITION AS INDICATED BY THE TWO MAIN GEAR GREEN LIGHTS. THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS USING "GRAVITY FORCE" AS A MEANS OF LOCKING THE NOSE GEAR FAILED. A FLY-BY OF THE TOWER AND EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN. THE INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT SHOWED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT LOCKED IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING HOLDING THE NOSE GEAR CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, CUTTING THE MIXTURE WHEN APPROPRIATE AND OPENING THE CABIN DOOR PRIOR TO NOSE WHEEL CONTACT. THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED ON ROLL OUT. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED ON THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER COMPLETING THE COCKPIT SECURE PROCEDURES. NO INJURIES TO PERSONNEL AND THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COWLING. THE ENGINE HAS BEEN TORN DOWN AND INSPECTED. THE CRANK SHAFT WAS NOT DAMAGED. MAINTENANCE INSPECTION DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRIC LANDING GEAR HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR FAILED, A COMPONENT OF THE HYDRAULIC POWER PACK , PART NUMBER HYC-5005, MANUFACTURED BY PRESTOLIGHT. INVESTIGATION INTO THE NOSE WHEEL FAILING TO LOWER AND LOCK IN THE DOWN POSITION, UTILIZING THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION SYSTEM, MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO AGE RESULTING IN REDUCED TENSILE STRENGTH OF THE NOSE GEAR SPRINGS THAT ASSIST IN LOCKING THE NOSE GEAR IN THE EXTENDED POSITION.

Other reports on N8207R · 1

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