19990924040749A

(-23) I AM LARRY D. ENLOW, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE FAA, SERVING AS AN ASI, ASSIGNED TO THE ORLANDO FLIGHT STANDARDS OFFICE, ORLANDO, FLORIDA. ON SEPTEMBER 24, 19999, I TRAVELED TO ORLANDO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, ORLANDO, FLORIDA, TO INVESTIGATE AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING CESSNA 172RD N9536B, WHICH OCCURRED EARLIER THE SAME DAY AT APPOX. 14:28 LOCAL TIME. IN SUMMARY, THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF N9536B EXECUTED A LANDING ON RUNWAY 07 AT ORLANDO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT WITHOUT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FULLY EXTENDED AND LOCKED. THE RESULTING COLLAPSE OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR CAUSED THE A/C TO IMPACT THE RUNWAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE, RIGHT WING TIP, AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE A/C SKIDDED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 07 AND COLLIDED WITH A RUNWAY 25 VASI LIGHT. THE A/C SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE TWO OCCUPANTS ABOARD THE A/C WERE NOT INJURES. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS IDENTIFIED AS JOHN URBAN ROCKCASTLE,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION, TO INCLUDE AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ROCKCASTLE, REVEALED THE (.23) CONT. FOLLOWING INFORMATION APPLICABLE TO THE GEAR UP LANDING. MR. ROCKCASTLE WAS PERFORMING A "PINCH HITTER" FLIGHT INSTRUCTION COURSE FOR SANDRA LACEY, THE SIFE OF A RATED PILOT. THE PURPOSE OF THE COURSE WAS TO FAMILAEIZE MS. LACEY WITH THE BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF FLIGHT, COMMUNICATIONS PROCEDURES, AND LANDINGS SO THAT SHE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSIST HER HUSBAND, IF NEEDED, DURING A FLIGHTS THAT SHE AND HER HUSBAND MIGHT MAKE TOGETHER. THE TRAINING FLIGHT BEGAN WITH A TRIP FROM ORLANDO EXEUCUTIVE AIRPORT TO ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT APPROX. 13:30 LOCAL TIME. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER IFR FLIGHT RULES, IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN ST. PETERSBURG AND ORLANDO, MR. ROCKCASTLE EXPEREIENCED WHAT HE THOUGHT WERE RADIO PROBLEMS. THE COMMUNICATION AND NAVIGATION RADIOS FINALLY CEASED OPERATION, ALONG WITH OTHER ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN EQUIP. IN ACTUALITY, SUCH PROBLEMS OCCURRED DUE TO AN ALTERNATOR OR CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, WHICH WAS NOT INITIALLY IDENTIFIED BY MR. ROCKCASTLE. NOATTEMPT WAS MADE TO FOLLOW EMERGENCY CHECKLIST PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO ELECTRICAL CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS NOT RESTORED (.23) CON'T TO NORMAL OPERATION. MR. ROCKCASTLE CONTINUED TO ORLANDO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT WITHOUT RADIO COMMUNICATIONS. ORLANDO APPROACH CONTROL HAD ADVISED ORLANDO EXECUTIVE TOWER OF THE LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH N9536B, AND THE TOWER WAS EXPECTING THE ARRIVAL OF N9536B. THE A/C WAS OBSERVED APPROACHING THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT, AND WAS GIVEN A GREEN LIGHT GUN SIGNAL AS A CLEARANCE TO LAND. RUNWAY 25 WAS THE ACTIVE, BUT MR. ROCKCASTLE ENTERED THE LEFT DOWNWIND TO RUNWAY 07. MR. ROCKCASTLE EXTENDED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS AND LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR. HOWEVER, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL ENERGY REMAINING IN THE BATTERY, AND THE LANDING GEAR DID NOT FULLY EXTEND. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND OBSERVED N9536B ON DOWNWIND AND BASE TO RUNWAY 07 WITH THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ONLY PARTIALLY EXTENDED. MR. ROCKCASTLE DID NOT FOLLOW EMERGENCY CHECKLIST PROCEDURES, WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE MANUAL EXTENSION OF THE LANDING GEAR DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAILUR, NOR DID HE VISUALLY CONFIRM THAT BOTH MAIN GEAR WERE IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. (.23) CONT. MR. ROCKCASTLE THEN PLACED THE FLAP CONTROL IN THE FULL DOWN (39 DEGREE) POSITION, BUT THE FLAPS DID NOT EXTEND BEYOND THE 10 DEGREE POSITION DUE TO INSUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL ENERGY REMAINING TO OPERATE THE FLAP MOTOR. HOWEVER, THIS PARTIAL EXTENSION OF THE FLAPS WAAS NOT NOTICED BY MR. ROCKCASTLE. DUE TO THE FLAPS ONLY EXTENDING TO 10 DEGREES AND THE WIND LAST REPORTED FROM 210 DEGREES AT 08 KNOTS, N9536B TOUCHED DOWN PAST MIDFIELD, ON RUNWAY 07. THE NOSE GEAR AND LEFT MAIN GEAR HAD EXTENDED FULLY AND WERE LOCKED. HOWEVER, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR HAD NOT EXTENDED FULLY AND WAS NOT LOCKED. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED UPON TOUCHDOWN, AND THE A/C FELL TO THE PAVEMENT AND SKIDDED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE TO THE RUNWAY. N9536B COLLIDED WITH A RUNWAY 25 VASI LIGHT, WHICH SHEARED OFF THE NOSE GEAR AND CAUSED ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE. THE A/C CAME TO REST AND BOTH MR. ROCKCASTLE AND MS. LACEY EXITED THE A/C WITHOUT INJURY. A POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE A/C REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE A/C BATTERY WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY DEPLETED OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY. THE LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT WAS OPERATIONAL.THE FLAP CONTROL WAS SELECTED TO 30 DEGREES, BUT THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED ONLY TO APPROX. 10 TO 15 DEGREES. THE LANDING GEAR MANUAL EXTENSION PUMP HAD NOT BEEN UTILIZED AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR HAD COLLAPSED INTO THE GEAR WELL. THE NOSE GEAR HAD BEEN SHEARED OFF AND NOSE GEAR DOORS, FORWARD FUSELAGE AND AIRFRAME PORTIONS OF THE NOSE GEAR ATTACH POINTS HAD SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THIS INCLUDED DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FORWARD PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE CONTAINING THE ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLES. A CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECK REVEALED SIGNIFICANT SLACK IN THE DOWN EVEVATOR CONTROL CABLE. THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS BROKEN AND THE RIGHT WING REAR SPAR WAS BENT APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES FROM THE WING TIP. THE RIGHT AILERON WAS BENT APPROX. 8 INCHES FROM ITS OUTBOARD EDGE. THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO NUMBEROUS AREAS IN THE VICINITY OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR ATTACH POINT. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER MAIN SPAR WAS BROKEN AT ITS CENTERPOINT, AND THE RIGHT ELEVATOR FRONT AND REAR SPARS WERE BENT. THE BOTTOM OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT ELEVATOR SKIN WAS RIPPED AWAY FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE REAR TIE DOWN RING WAS BROKEN OFF, AND THE MARKER BEACON ANTENNA WAS BROKEN. OTHER ADDITIONAL DAMAGE MAY EXIST. A REVIEW OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ACCIDENT INDICATE THAT THE PILOT IN COMMAND FAILED TO INITIALLY RECOGNIZE AN ELECTRICAL CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION AND THEN FAILED TO SUBSEQUENTLY FOWWOW APPRPRIATE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES TO RESOLVE OR MITIGATE THE MALFUNCTION. FURTHER, THE PILOT IN COMMAND FAILED TO FOLLOW APPROPRIATE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER IN ORDER TO ASSURE THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS MANUALLY PUMPED INTO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. ACCORDINGLY, THE COMPETENCY OF MR. ROCKCASTLE TO FUNCTION AS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IS IN QUESTION, AND A REEXAMINATION OF HIS ABILITY TO HOLD A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE WILL BE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 49, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTION 44709. (.4)THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT AFTER LEAVING ST. PETERSBURG, HE EXPERIENCED RADIO PROBLEMS AND THE ALTERNATOR TRIPPED OFF LINE. THE INSTRUCTOR SAID HE COULD NOT RESET IT, SO HE TURNED THE MASTER SWITCH OFF, AND CONTINUED THE FLIGHT. PRIOR TO LANDING, THE INSTRUCTOR SAID THAT HE TURNED ON THE MASTER SWITCH, EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR, VISIBLY CHECKED THAT THE LEFT GEAR WAS DOWN, BUT DID NOT GET A GEAR LIGHT. DURING LANDING, THE INSTRUCTOR SAID THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR SETTLED TO THE RUNWAY AND GAVE WAY, WITH THE AIRPLANE EXITING THE RUNWAY. THE INSTRUCTOR SAID THAT HE NEVER ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY PUMP THE GEAR DOWN. THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO CONDUCTED THE POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE SAID THAT HE FOUND THE AIRPLANE WITH THE LEFT MAIN GEAR EXTENDED AND LOCKED, THE NOSE WHEEL SHEARED OFF, AND THE RIGHT GEAR COLLAPSED INTO THE GEAR WELL. THE INSPECTOR ALSO STATED THAT WITNESSES TOLD HIM THAT THEY SAW THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR TRAILING PRIOR TO LANDING. THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY WAS ALMOST DEPLETED OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY, AND THE LOW VOLTAGE WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. ACCORDING TO THE INSPECTOR, THIRTY DEGREES OF FLAPS WAS SELECTED, BUT THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED ABOUT 10 TO 15 DEGREES, AND THE MANUAL EXTENSION PUMP FOR THE LANDING GEAR WAS STOWED, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF RECENT USE. THE INSPECTOR SAID THAT AFTER SUPPORTING THE A/C AND STARTING THE ENGINE, NO ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WERE FOUND.