What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On may 28, 1999, at 1600 central daylight time a Cessna T303 multi-engine airplane, N400T, was substantially damaged when the nose landing gear collapsed upon landing at the west Houston airport, near Houston, Texas. The instrument rated commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to plaza one inc., and operated by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight originated from the george bush intercontinental airport, Houston Texas, at 1550. According to the pilot, he flew a visual approach to runway 33. He stated that he lowered the landing gear and visually confimed that the three green lights illuminated, indicating that the gear was down and locked. Furthermore, he visually confirmed, by way of a mirror on the left side of the airplane, that the nose landing gear was extended. The main landing gear contacted the runway and the pilot began to "release elevator pressure." The nose landing gear collapsed as it came into contact with the runway surface. The airplane skidded 300 feet and came to rest upright on the runway. An FAA examiner examined the airplane and stated that the nose landing gear was damaged and the propellers on each of the engines were bent. The bulkhead located in the nose cone was structurally damaged. An FAA certified mechanic added that the damaged bulkhead was not repairable. (.4)the nose landing gear collapsed upon landing. According to the pilot, he observed the illuminated three green landing gear position lights, after he extended the landing gear on the downwind leg. He visually confirmed that the nose landing gear was extended by referencing a mirror mounted on the left engine nacelle. The main landing gear contacted the runway, and the pilot began to 'release elevator back pressure.' Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed when it contacted the runway. An examination of the hydraulic landing gear system, by an FAA certified mechanic, revealed that the operating pressure was 'within manufacturer's tolerances at 850 PSI and the fluid level was normal.' The reason for the collapse of the nose landing gear was not determined. (-23)pilot provided written statement which said that he had full flaps and three green lights on gear indicators with visual confirmation in mirror of nose wheel down. During landing rollout, as back pressure on elevator released, the nosewheel touched down and collapsed, causing the airplane to skid on nose and main gear for about 600 feet. Post accident inspection revealed no landing gear discrepancies. Re-examination planned on single-pilot CRM, cockpit housekeeping and NTSB reporting requirements pilot did not report the accident until 6/15/99.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON MAY 28, 1999, AT 1600 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME A CESSNA T303 MULTI-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N400T, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED UPON LANDING AT THE WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT, NEAR HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO PLAZA ONE INC., AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE GEORGE BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT, HOUSTON TEXAS, AT 1550. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE FLEW A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 33. HE STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AND VISUALLY CONFIMED THAT THE THREE GREEN LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. FURTHERMORE, HE VISUALLY CONFIRMED, BY WAY OF A MIRROR ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE, THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR CONTACTED THE RUNWAY AND THE PILOT BEGAN TO "RELEASE ELEVATOR PRESSURE." THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AS IT CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED 300 FEET AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT ON THE RUNWAY. AN FAA EXAMINER EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AND STATED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS DAMAGED AND THE PROPELLERS ON EACH OF THE ENGINES WERE BENT. THE BULKHEAD LOCATED IN THE NOSE CONE WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED. AN FAA CERTIFIED MECHANIC ADDED THAT THE DAMAGED BULKHEAD WAS NOT REPAIRABLE. (.4)THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED UPON LANDING. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE OBSERVED THE ILLUMINATED THREE GREEN LANDING GEAR POSITION LIGHTS, AFTER HE EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. HE VISUALLY CONFIRMED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED BY REFERENCING A MIRROR MOUNTED ON THE LEFT ENGINE NACELLE. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, AND THE PILOT BEGAN TO 'RELEASE ELEVATOR BACK PRESSURE.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN IT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY. AN EXAMINATION OF THE HYDRAULIC LANDING GEAR SYSTEM, BY AN FAA CERTIFIED MECHANIC, REVEALED THAT THE OPERATING PRESSURE WAS 'WITHIN MANUFACTURER'S TOLERANCES AT 850 PSI AND THE FLUID LEVEL WAS NORMAL.' THE REASON FOR THE COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT DETERMINED. (-23)PILOT PROVIDED WRITTEN STATEMENT WHICH SAID THAT HE HAD FULL FLAPS AND THREE GREEN LIGHTS ON GEAR INDICATORS WITH VISUAL CONFIRMATION IN MIRROR OF NOSE WHEEL DOWN. DURING LANDING ROLLOUT, AS BACK PRESSURE ON ELEVATOR RELEASED, THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED DOWN AND COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO SKID ON NOSE AND MAIN GEAR FOR ABOUT 600 FEET. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED NO LANDING GEAR DISCREPANCIES. RE-EXAMINATION PLANNED ON SINGLE-PILOT CRM, COCKPIT HOUSEKEEPING AND NTSB REPORTING REQUIREMENTS PILOT DID NOT REPORT THE ACCIDENT UNTIL 6/15/99.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.