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19980215001299A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Amtrjg QUESTAIR 20 · Greensboro, NC · February 15, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 15, 1998 · 09:10 local
Place
Greensboro, NC
Airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N94FA
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL98LA043
Reported as
Amtrjg QUESTAIR20
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,896 total646 in this make and model
N94FARegistration cancelled Feb 13, 2003 · Wilde Mickey QUESTAIR 20S/N 0017 · Built 1993Airframe modelWilde Mickey QUESTAIR 20Engine modelContinental IO-550 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.

According to the pilot, when he retracted the landing gear, the nose gear indicator light was red, indicating the gear was not up and locked. He recyvled the gear and still saw a red light, so the pilot flew under the maximum gear extension speed. On approach, the pilot stated he extended the landing, and got a green indicator light, indicating the gear was down and locked. As the airplane touched down, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane slid off the runway and nosed over. According to the FAA inspector, examination of the landing gear and skid marks on the runway revealed that the nose wheel was turned beyond its normal limits on touchdown. He stated that a malfunction and defect report was submitted on the nose landing gear strut. According to the FAA, in conversations with the kit manufacturer, it was noted that the nose gear on this airplane was designed poorly, in that it must be installed perfectly to work correctly. Because of the inexperience of some kit builders, this can lead to problems. Both the FAA and the kit manufacturer believe that the servicing of the nose gear aggravated a pre existing problem with the nose gear installation, which led to the collapse.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHEN HE RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR, THE NOSE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT WAS RED, INDICATING THE GEAR WAS NOT UP AND LOCKED. HE RECYVLED THE GEAR AND STILL SAW A RED LIGHT, SO THE PILOT FLEW UNDER THE MAXIMUM GEAR EXTENSION SPEED. ON APPROACH, THE PILOT STATED HE EXTENDED THE LANDING, AND GOT A GREEN INDICATOR LIGHT, INDICATING THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE SLID OFF THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR AND SKID MARKS ON THE RUNWAY REVEALED THAT THE NOSE WHEEL WAS TURNED BEYOND ITS NORMAL LIMITS ON TOUCHDOWN. HE STATED THAT A MALFUNCTION AND DEFECT REPORT WAS SUBMITTED ON THE NOSE LANDING GEAR STRUT. ACCORDING TO THE FAA, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE KIT MANUFACTURER, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE NOSE GEAR ON THIS AIRPLANE WAS DESIGNED POORLY, IN THAT IT MUST BE INSTALLED PERFECTLY TO WORK CORRECTLY. BECAUSE OF THE INEXPERIENCE OF SOME KIT BUILDERS, THIS CAN LEAD TO PROBLEMS. BOTH THE FAA AND THE KIT MANUFACTURER BELIEVE THAT THE SERVICING OF THE NOSE GEAR AGGRAVATED A PRE EXISTING PROBLEM WITH THE NOSE GEAR INSTALLATION, WHICH LED TO THE COLLAPSE.

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 ATL98LA043Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGreensboro, NCThe improper installation of the nose landing gear strut, which led to the collapse of the nose gear upon touchdown.Feb 15, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N94FA · 1

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

Incident 19940205004479IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Baco Raton, FLNarrative: on sat. 02-05-94 pilot auman attempted a normal landing at Boca Raton Airport (bca), Boca Raton, Florida with all landing gear indicating down and locked. First sign of problem occurred when propeller struck runway as nose settled down. Propeller…Feb 5, 1994 · Minor damage