# Incident 19990729018269I: Gulstm 680E, Watsonville, CA, July 29, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 29, 1999, 22:50 local time
- Place: Watsonville, CA
- Airport: Watsonville Municipal Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.9357° N, 121.7896° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WATSONVILLE MUNI (WVI), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9357&lon=-121.7896&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8489C, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8489C-2014-09-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aero Commander 680-E (registry code 0141604, https://openairdocs.org/model/aero-commander-680-e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming GSO&IGSO-480 series (registry code 41529, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-gso-igso-480-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GULSTM 680E
- Reported engine: LYC GSO480B1A6
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,250 total, 151 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990729018269I

## Narrative

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

(-5)ON JULY 27, 1999, TIME UNKNOWN MR. MARL ALAN CRIBBS, A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE # 571064144, WITH TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD, OPERATED VFR A GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE AERO COMMANDER, MODEL # 680-E, SERIAL # 680E-863-81, REGISTRATION #N8489C, FROM SOUTH COUNTY AIRPORT (Q99) DIRECT TO WATSONVILLE AIRPORT(WVI). ON FINAL APPROACH TO WATSONVILLE AIRPORT, MR. CIRBBS (PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC)) OBSERVED AN UNSAFE NOSE GEAR INDICATION. THIS FAILURE WAS ALSO ON CONFIRMED BY WITNESS ON THE GROUND IN WATSONVILLE AND VISUALCONFIRMATION VIA THE REFLECTION OF HIS NOSE GEAR ON THE AIRCRAFTS PROPELLER SPINNER.  THE PIC ATTEMPTED NUMEROUS DIP MANEUVERS OVER PACIFIC COAST LINE TRYING TO LOCK NOSE GEAR IN PLACE.  WHEN THESE MANEUVERS FAILED, PIC CONTACTED BAT APPROACH CONTROL.  HE THEN REQUESTED BAY APPROACH, TO ASSIST IN ESTABLISHING EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE VIA RADIO CONTACT WITH AN AIRCRAFT REPAIR FACILITY COMMANDER SERVICES LOCATED AT HAYWARD AIRPORT.  PIC WAS GRANTED PERMISSION BY HWD TOWER CONTROLLER IN CHARGE, SANDRA REGRUTO.  COMMUNICATION WAS ESTABLISHED WITH COMMANDER SERVICES ON 118.9 MHZ USING RADIO EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY HWD ATCT.  PIC PERFORMED VARIOUS MANEUVERS OVER LIVERMORE BEFORE FLYING DIREC T TO HAYWARD AIRPORT. WITH ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS ATTEMPTED, AND THE NOSE GEAR STILL UNLOCKED; N8489C, TIME 2250 (GMT) WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 28L.  PIC LANDED AIRCRAFT ON 28R TOUCH AIRCRAFT DOWN AND AS INSTRUCTED BY COMMANDER SERVICES IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT AIRCRAFT TO A STOP.  ALL THREE SOULS ABOARD EVACUATED AIRCRAFT UNHARMED.  AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO 3 BOTTOM PANELS BOTH NOSE GEAR DOORS, 2L BAND ANTENNAS, AND BATTERY EXHAUST STACKS.  AIRCRAFT HOBBS INDICATED 3890.8 HOURS.  TOTAL AIRFRAME HOURS = 6169.0 *** PILOT DID A GOOD JOB***  FAILED PART:  MFG:  AERO COMMANDER  P/N:  4790270-505  DESCRIPTION:  CYLINDER, RETRACT

## Other reports on N8489C (1)

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

- [Incident 20030809019749I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030809019749I), Aug 9, 2003: Gulstm 680E (N8489C), Oakland, CA. (-23) Hydraulic flex line burst on take off spraying hydraulic fluid on the engine causing smoke and hydraulic failure. Aircraft landed without incident,…

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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