19990308027219I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Tuscaloosa, AL · March 8, 1999

Date
March 8, 1999 · 14:05 local
Place
Tuscaloosa, AL
Airport
Tuscaloosa Municipal
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2484R
Reported as
Piper PA23250
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,010 total149 in this make and model17 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.

(-5) Pilot was cleared to land at tcl and called three green, tower also stated gear were down. Upon touchdown the nose gear folded causing the aircraft nose to contact and scrape runway. As aircraft settled on runway both propellers were damaged and engines experienced sudden stoppage. Investigation revealed damage to left engine forward cowl in area of air conditioner compressor. Minor skin wrinkling noted on both engine rear nacelle access panels and below pilot side windshield forward left corner. The lower nose cone from tip to nose gear was scrape damaged, gear components appeared in tact and undamged. Unable to inspect the nose gear locking mechanism due to strap holding mechanism in overlock position. A trail of hydraulic fluid was noted on belly of aircraft in area of hydraulic power pack. Mechanic stated downlock mechanism felt spongy and soft. privacy data omitted

As the FAA filed it

(-5) PILOT WAS CLEARED TO LAND AT TCL AND CALLED THREE GREEN, TOWER ALSO STATED GEAR WERE DOWN. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT NOSE TO CONTACT AND SCRAPE RUNWAY. AS AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON RUNWAY BOTH PROPELLERS WERE DAMAGED AND ENGINES EXPERIENCED SUDDEN STOPPAGE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED DAMAGE TO LEFT ENGINE FORWARD COWL IN AREA OF AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR. MINOR SKIN WRINKLING NOTED ON BOTH ENGINE REAR NACELLE ACCESS PANELS AND BELOW PILOT SIDE WINDSHIELD FORWARD LEFT CORNER. THE LOWER NOSE CONE FROM TIP TO NOSE GEAR WAS SCRAPE DAMAGED, GEAR COMPONENTS APPEARED IN TACT AND UNDAMGED. UNABLE TO INSPECT THE NOSE GEAR LOCKING MECHANISM DUE TO STRAP HOLDING MECHANISM IN OVERLOCK POSITION. A TRAIL OF HYDRAULIC FLUID WAS NOTED ON BELLY OF AIRCRAFT IN AREA OF HYDRAULIC POWER PACK. MECHANIC STATED DOWNLOCK MECHANISM FELT SPONGY AND SOFT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^