What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On August 21, 1999, about 1059 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172RG, N6231V, registered to sjg enterprises, inc., experienced a loss of directional control on landing at the kendall-Tamiami executive airport, Miami, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight originated about 5 minutes earlier. The pilot stated that he performed a preflight to the airplane before departure and after takeoff while climbing through 500 feet AGL, the airplane abruptly and uncommanded, yawed to the left. The pilot noted that the turn coordinator indicated a skid to the left. The flight continued and he noticed that the left turning tendency increased. The flight returned for landing and while attempting to apply manual rudder trim, he noticed that the trim wheel spun freely. While on short final approach, the tower controller advised him to goaround as the landing gear was not extended. He placed the landing gear selector handle in the "down" position and landed the airplane with the n ose landing gear down and locked; the main landing gear was not fully down and locked at touchdown. Postaccident examination of the airplane by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that the nose landing gear was bent slightly to the left and the main landing gears were collapsed. Also, damage to the right horizontal stabilizer tip and elevator was noted. The chain for the rudder trim assembly was noted to be broken in the cockpit and the rudder trim was determined to be displaced fully to the left. (.4)the pilot stated that after takeoff while climbing through 500 feet, the airplane abruptly and uncommanded, yawed to the left. He attempted to correct with rudder trim but the trim wheel turned freely. The flight remained in the traffic pattern and while on short final approach, the controller advised the pilot to go-around as the landing gear was not extended. The pilot lowered the landing gear but landed before the main landing gear locked in place. He stated that he heard the gear warning horn while on short final approach with the flaps extended. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed that a wire at the micro-switch for the throttle gear warning was broken; the wire was reconnected and the warning horn operated normally. The rudder trim actuator and trim wheel were fully displaced to the left, and the master link for the rudder trim chain was noted to be bent and the master link lock clip was fractured. Metallurgical examination of the lock clip revealed it failed due to overstress failure. Post accident retraction and extension tests of the landing gear revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON AUGUST 21, 1999, ABOUT 1059 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172RG, N6231V, REGISTERED TO SJG ENTERPRISES, INC., EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON LANDING AT THE KENDALL-TAMIAMI EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, MIAMI, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 5 MINUTES EARLIER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT TO THE AIRPLANE BEFORE DEPARTURE AND AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 500 FEET AGL, THE AIRPLANE ABRUPTLY AND UNCOMMANDED, YAWED TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE TURN COORDINATOR INDICATED A SKID TO THE LEFT. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED AND HE NOTICED THAT THE LEFT TURNING TENDENCY INCREASED. THE FLIGHT RETURNED FOR LANDING AND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY MANUAL RUDDER TRIM, HE NOTICED THAT THE TRIM WHEEL SPUN FREELY. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH, THE TOWER CONTROLLER ADVISED HIM TO GOAROUND AS THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. HE PLACED THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE IN THE "DOWN" POSITION AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITH THE N OSE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED; THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS NOT FULLY DOWN AND LOCKED AT TOUCHDOWN. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS BENT SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT AND THE MAIN LANDING GEARS WERE COLLAPSED. ALSO, DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER TIP AND ELEVATOR WAS NOTED. THE CHAIN FOR THE RUDDER TRIM ASSEMBLY WAS NOTED TO BE BROKEN IN THE COCKPIT AND THE RUDDER TRIM WAS DETERMINED TO BE DISPLACED FULLY TO THE LEFT. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 500 FEET, THE AIRPLANE ABRUPTLY AND UNCOMMANDED, YAWED TO THE LEFT. HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH RUDDER TRIM BUT THE TRIM WHEEL TURNED FREELY. THE FLIGHT REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH, THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT TO GO-AROUND AS THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. THE PILOT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR BUT LANDED BEFORE THE MAIN LANDING GEAR LOCKED IN PLACE. HE STATED THAT HE HEARD THE GEAR WARNING HORN WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH WITH THE FLAPS EXTENDED. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT A WIRE AT THE MICRO-SWITCH FOR THE THROTTLE GEAR WARNING WAS BROKEN; THE WIRE WAS RECONNECTED AND THE WARNING HORN OPERATED NORMALLY. THE RUDDER TRIM ACTUATOR AND TRIM WHEEL WERE FULLY DISPLACED TO THE LEFT, AND THE MASTER LINK FOR THE RUDDER TRIM CHAIN WAS NOTED TO BE BENT AND THE MASTER LINK LOCK CLIP WAS FRACTURED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE LOCK CLIP REVEALED IT FAILED DUE TO OVERSTRESS FAILURE. POST ACCIDENT RETRACTION AND EXTENSION TESTS OF THE LANDING GEAR REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.