20010116000999I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Hollywood, FL · January 16, 2001

Date: January 16, 2001 · 17:00 local
Place: Hollywood, FL
Airport: North Perry Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2461M
Reported as: Piper PA32300
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540K1G5
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 140 total9 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days

N2461MRegistered now · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-7840049 · Built 1977 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Departed (kewy) 01/16/01 at approx. 1500 hrs arrived (khwo) at 1700 hrs approx. while enroute pilot stated a loud bang and vibration during normal cruise. He noted rudder pedals became stiff and did not move freely. Radioed khwo tower and pilol made 2 fly bys. Tower stated nose gear turned 45 degrees. Pilot made short/soft field landing to runway 9L. Upon touchdown of nosegear, gear collapsed, a/c skidded on its nose with suddent stoppage of power plant. A/c towed to secure hanger. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that a bolt sheared on top of nose gear strut causing the next input from the rudder pedals to deflect nose wheel to that direction. Further investigation reveals upon stoppage of a/c, "shrader" valve and thru bolt also sheared.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DEPARTED (KEWY) 01/16/01 AT APPROX. 1500 HRS ARRIVED (KHWO) AT 1700 HRS APPROX. WHILE ENROUTE PILOT STATED A LOUD BANG AND VIBRATION DURING NORMAL CRUISE. HE NOTED RUDDER PEDALS BECAME STIFF AND DID NOT MOVE FREELY. RADIOED KHWO TOWER AND PILOL MADE 2 FLY BYS. TOWER STATED NOSE GEAR TURNED 45 DEGREES. PILOT MADE SHORT/SOFT FIELD LANDING TO RUNWAY 9L. UPON TOUCHDOWN OF NOSEGEAR, GEAR COLLAPSED, A/C SKIDDED ON ITS NOSE WITH SUDDENT STOPPAGE OF POWER PLANT. A/C TOWED TO SECURE HANGER. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A BOLT SHEARED ON TOP OF NOSE GEAR STRUT CAUSING THE NEXT INPUT FROM THE RUDDER PEDALS TO DEFLECT NOSE WHEEL TO THAT DIRECTION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALS UPON STOPPAGE OF A/C, "SHRADER" VALVE AND THRU BOLT ALSO SHEARED.