What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-5) I, eric white, was the pilot in command of a Piper seneca I aircraft (PA34/20OR) at approximately 1000 local time. Plamen stoianov accompanied me. The flight was a maintenance flight to ensure that the nose gear on the aircraft was down and locked when the emergency gear extend was activated and was to be verified by the usual "three green." I maneuvered the aircraft and extended the gear with the emergency gear extension three times. Each of the three times the system verified that all three of the aircrafts wheels were in down and locked. We both verified with the gear lights and also a visual with the mirror located on the number one engine cowl. We considered the flight a success and secured the emergency gear system to its normal position. We then proceeded back to Chandler and we were cleared for a straight in visual approach runway four right. I performed the landing check and verified that the gear was down and locked, once again visual with the mirror and the three greens lights. The approach was normal, steady at 90 mph, and the landing was a smooth landing. Upon touchdown the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft came to a skidding halt on its nose and two engines. Both plamen and myself were not injured. Eric white on 1/12/00, a pilot flying our Piper seneca N15120 reported that upon demonstrating an emergency landing gear extension for insturctional purposes, the nose gear "green" light failed to illuminate. They reported that when the landing gear was retracted and extended normally that all three "green" lights came on as normal. I then had the aircraft brought to our maintenance hangar where we placed the plane on jacks and performed several gear swings and emergency gear extensions. We lubricated all the landing gear pivot points and installed a new nose gear down lock spring(p/n 96178-OO). After this we again performed at least 6 successful landing gear retraction and emergency gear extensions all of which seemed normal. We then had a flight instructor test fly the aircraft and he reported that they performed 3 successful landing gear "freefalls" and got a "3 green" indication each time. He then proceeded back tot he airport and had a normal approach to landing again with a normal gear extension and a "3 green" indication. Then shortly after landing the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft slid to a halt. Kelly m yates 520908172 IA on janauray 12, 2000 approxiamtely two hours before the accident. Witnessed a series of three gear swings at freefalls which all appeared to me to be satisfactory. D. king maintenance mech
As the FAA filed it
(-5) I, ERIC WHITE, WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF A PIPER SENECA I AIRCRAFT (PA34/20OR) AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 LOCAL TIME. PLAMEN STOIANOV ACCOMPANIED ME. THE FLIGHT WAS A MAINTENANCE FLIGHT TO ENSURE THAT THE NOSE GEAR ON THE AIRCRAFT WAS DOWN AND LOCKED WHEN THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTEND WAS ACTIVATED AND WAS TO BE VERIFIED BY THE USUAL "THREE GREEN." I MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT AND EXTENDED THE GEAR WITH THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION THREE TIMES. EACH OF THE THREE TIMES THE SYSTEM VERIFIED THAT ALL THREE OF THE AIRCRAFTS WHEELS WERE IN DOWN AND LOCKED. WE BOTH VERIFIED WITH THE GEAR LIGHTS AND ALSO A VISUAL WITH THE MIRROR LOCATED ON THE NUMBER ONE ENGINE COWL. WE CONSIDERED THE FLIGHT A SUCCESS AND SECURED THE EMERGENCY GEAR SYSTEM TO ITS NORMAL POSITION. WE THEN PROCEEDED BACK TO CHANDLER AND WE WERE CLEARED FOR A STRAIGHT IN VISUAL APPROACH RUNWAY FOUR RIGHT. I PERFORMED THE LANDING CHECK AND VERIFIED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED, ONCE AGAIN VISUAL WITH THE MIRROR AND THE THREE GREENS LIGHTS. THE APPROACH WAS NORMAL, STEADY AT 90 MPH, AND THE LANDING WAS A SMOOTH LANDING. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A SKIDDING HALT ON ITS NOSE AND TWO ENGINES. BOTH PLAMEN AND MYSELF WERE NOT INJURED. ERIC WHITE ON 1/12/00, A PILOT FLYING OUR PIPER SENECA N15120 REPORTED THAT UPON DEMONSTRATING AN EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION FOR INSTURCTIONAL PURPOSES, THE NOSE GEAR "GREEN" LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THEY REPORTED THAT WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED AND EXTENDED NORMALLY THAT ALL THREE "GREEN" LIGHTS CAME ON AS NORMAL. I THEN HAD THE AIRCRAFT BROUGHT TO OUR MAINTENANCE HANGAR WHERE WE PLACED THE PLANE ON JACKS AND PERFORMED SEVERAL GEAR SWINGS AND EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSIONS. WE LUBRICATED ALL THE LANDING GEAR PIVOT POINTS AND INSTALLED A NEW NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK SPRING(P/N 96178-OO). AFTER THIS WE AGAIN PERFORMED AT LEAST 6 SUCCESSFUL LANDING GEAR RETRACTION AND EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSIONS ALL OF WHICH SEEMED NORMAL. WE THEN HAD A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TEST FLY THE AIRCRAFT AND HE REPORTED THAT THEY PERFORMED 3 SUCCESSFUL LANDING GEAR "FREEFALLS" AND GOT A "3 GREEN" INDICATION EACH TIME. HE THEN PROCEEDED BACK TOT HE AIRPORT AND HAD A NORMAL APPROACH TO LANDING AGAIN WITH A NORMAL GEAR EXTENSION AND A "3 GREEN" INDICATION. THEN SHORTLY AFTER LANDING THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A HALT. KELLY M YATES 520908172 IA ON JANAURAY 12, 2000 APPROXIAMTELY TWO HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSED A SERIES OF THREE GEAR SWINGS AT FREEFALLS WHICH ALL APPEARED TO ME TO BE SATISFACTORY. D. KING MAINTENANCE MECH
Other reports on N15120 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.