# Accident 19980215001299A: Amtrjg QUESTAIR20, Greensboro, NC, February 15, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 15, 1998, 09:10 local time
- Place: Greensboro, NC
- Airport: Piedmont Triad International Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.1199° N, 79.8910° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1199&lon=-79.8910&mi=10
- Aircraft: N94FA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N94FA-2003-02-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Wilde Mickey QUESTAIR 20 (registry code 05624JU, https://openairdocs.org/model/wilde-mickey-questair-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-550 series (registry code 17042, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTRJG QUESTAIR20
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,896 total, 646 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA043](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA043) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980215001299A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 ATL98LA043](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA043), Feb 15, 1998: Wilde Mickey Questair 20 (N94FA), Greensboro, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The improper installation of the nose landing gear strut, which led to the collapse of the nose gear upon touchdown.

## Other reports on N94FA (1)

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

- [Incident 19940205004479I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940205004479I), Feb 5, 1994: Amtrjg QUESTAIR20 (N94FA), Baco Raton, FL, Minor damage. Narrative: 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…

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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