What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Dead battery fuel stop. Jump started. Enroute alternator breaker popped. Elected psb. Unable right gear manually. (.19) on June 15, 1998, at 1300 hours pacific daylight time, a fife Lancair 320, N96GF, an experimental aircraft, collapsed the nose gear during landing at the palm springs, California, airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot/owner was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight that had originated from prescott, Arizona, at 1115 mountain standard time the morning of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that over palm springs the fuel indicator was indicating low fuel. He attempted to switch fuel tanks, but was unsuccessful and decided to make a precautionary landing. During the landing approach the aircraft experienced an electrical failure and he was unable to fully extend the landing gear. (.4) after refueling, the aircraft had to be jump-started by a ground power source. After takeoff, the main circuit breaker tripped and the pilot manually reset it with a positive charge shown on the ammeter. About 30 minutes into the flight the pilot noted that the radio and fuel transfer pump w ere weak, and he reduced all nonessential electrical loads. A short time later the pilot noted that the header tank was 1/3 full, and attempted to make a precautionary landing. The pilot stated that he attempted to manually extend the landing gear, however, only the right main extended. After touchdown the airplane slid off the runway. The aircraft was moved prior to examination and the source of the electrical malfunction could not be determined. (-23) on June 15, 1998, Mr. Glade fife left albuquerque, new Mexico, at 7:45 am enroute to oceanside, CA. Mr. Fife stopped in prescott, AZ, for fuel and, upon leaving, he found the aircraft battery could not start the engine. Mr. Fife received an assisted battery start and immediately after takeoff the alternator 50 ampere circuit breaker popped. Mr. Fife realized he had an electrical problem when his radio communications became weak and that the fuel from the wing tank was not being transferred at the normal flow rate to the header tank. Mr. Fife decided to descend to palm springs airport, palm springs, CA. Mr. Fife tried to extend the hydraulic operated landing gea r manually and succeeeded in extending the right main gear only. Mr. Fife landed and ran off runway 31R damaging the left wing and propeller. Mr. Fife, the sole occupant, did not receive any injuries.privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
DEAD BATTERY FUEL STOP. JUMP STARTED. ENROUTE ALTERNATOR BREAKER POPPED. ELECTED PSB. UNABLE RIGHT GEAR MANUALLY. (.19) ON JUNE 15, 1998, AT 1300 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A FIFE LANCAIR 320, N96GF, AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR DURING LANDING AT THE PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT/OWNER WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT HAD ORIGINATED FROM PRESCOTT, ARIZONA, AT 1115 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT OVER PALM SPRINGS THE FUEL INDICATOR WAS INDICATING LOW FUEL. HE ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. DURING THE LANDING APPROACH THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND HE WAS UNABLE TO FULLY EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. (.4) AFTER REFUELING, THE AIRCRAFT HAD TO BE JUMP-STARTED BY A GROUND POWER SOURCE. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPED AND THE PILOT MANUALLY RESET IT WITH A POSITIVE CHARGE SHOWN ON THE AMMETER. ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE RADIO AND FUEL TRANSFER PUMP W ERE WEAK, AND HE REDUCED ALL NONESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL LOADS. A SHORT TIME LATER THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE HEADER TANK WAS 1/3 FULL, AND ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR, HOWEVER, ONLY THE RIGHT MAIN EXTENDED. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE SLID OFF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED PRIOR TO EXAMINATION AND THE SOURCE OF THE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. (-23) ON JUNE 15, 1998, MR. GLADE FIFE LEFT ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, AT 7:45 AM ENROUTE TO OCEANSIDE, CA. MR. FIFE STOPPED IN PRESCOTT, AZ, FOR FUEL AND, UPON LEAVING, HE FOUND THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY COULD NOT START THE ENGINE. MR. FIFE RECEIVED AN ASSISTED BATTERY START AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF THE ALTERNATOR 50 AMPERE CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. MR. FIFE REALIZED HE HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHEN HIS RADIO COMMUNICATIONS BECAME WEAK AND THAT THE FUEL FROM THE WING TANK WAS NOT BEING TRANSFERRED AT THE NORMAL FLOW RATE TO THE HEADER TANK. MR. FIFE DECIDED TO DESCEND TO PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT, PALM SPRINGS, CA. MR. FIFE TRIED TO EXTEND THE HYDRAULIC OPERATED LANDING GEA R MANUALLY AND SUCCEEEDED IN EXTENDING THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR ONLY. MR. FIFE LANDED AND RAN OFF RUNWAY 31R DAMAGING THE LEFT WING AND PROPELLER. MR. FIFE, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INJURIES.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N96GF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.