What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)On 01/28/01 afer departing farmington ma the pilot stated he had no problems with the gear retraction during takeoff. But 1-1/2 hours in flight he noticed that the gear up light illuminated. He then poceeded to land at cecil co. airpark, the gears were extended, the pilot noted that the main gears were down and locked, he still had no nose gear down and licked indication. The pilot condfirmed this by looking at the mirror on the left side of the aircraft and noted that there was not a reflection of the nose gear in the down and locked position. The pilot then proceeded to Wilmington, DE where the airport is better equipped for emergency situations. When the pilot reached Wilmington airport he contacted Wilmington tower. They advised him to extend his landing gear to observe the configuration of the landing gear. The tower observed that the nose landing gear did not extend, they edvised the pilot to make an emergency landing on runway 27 or 32 at his discretion. The pilot stated that he followed the emergency check list and recycled the gear once more to no avail. He then decided to bring the main gear up and accomplish a landing on the grass south of runway 27 because the winds were mostly coming out of the west. The pilot safety landed the aircraft on the grass causing no personal injury to himself and minor damage to the aircraft. The weather and airport were not a factor. Further investigation revealed that some form of debris appeared to impact the top portion of the left nose landing gear door. The debris which impacted the door had enough force to dent and bind the door causing the nose landing gear door to not open during gear extention.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)ON 01/28/01 AFER DEPARTING FARMINGTON MA THE PILOT STATED HE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE GEAR RETRACTION DURING TAKEOFF. BUT 1-1/2 HOURS IN FLIGHT HE NOTICED THAT THE GEAR UP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HE THEN POCEEDED TO LAND AT CECIL CO. AIRPARK, THE GEARS WERE EXTENDED, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE MAIN GEARS WERE DOWN AND LOCKED, HE STILL HAD NO NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LICKED INDICATION. THE PILOT CONDFIRMED THIS BY LOOKING AT THE MIRROR ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTED THAT THERE WAS NOT A REFLECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. THE PILOT THEN PROCEEDED TO WILMINGTON, DE WHERE THE AIRPORT IS BETTER EQUIPPED FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. WHEN THE PILOT REACHED WILMINGTON AIRPORT HE CONTACTED WILMINGTON TOWER. THEY ADVISED HIM TO EXTEND HIS LANDING GEAR TO OBSERVE THE CONFIGURATION OF THE LANDING GEAR. THE TOWER OBSERVED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DID NOT EXTEND, THEY EDVISED THE PILOT TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON RUNWAY 27 OR 32 AT HIS DISCRETION. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FOLLOWED THE EMERGENCY CHECK LIST AND RECYCLED THE GEAR ONCE MORE TO NO AVAIL. HE THEN DECIDED TO BRING THE MAIN GEAR UP AND ACCOMPLISH A LANDING ON THE GRASS SOUTH OF RUNWAY 27 BECAUSE THE WINDS WERE MOSTLY COMING OUT OF THE WEST. THE PILOT SAFETY LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GRASS CAUSING NO PERSONAL INJURY TO HIMSELF AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE WEATHER AND AIRPORT WERE NOT A FACTOR. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT SOME FORM OF DEBRIS APPEARED TO IMPACT THE TOP PORTION OF THE LEFT NOSE LANDING GEAR DOOR. THE DEBRIS WHICH IMPACTED THE DOOR HAD ENOUGH FORCE TO DENT AND BIND THE DOOR CAUSING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOOR TO NOT OPEN DURING GEAR EXTENTION.
Other reports on N58FR · 1
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