20010630013289I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Amtr Velocity · Sanford, NC · June 30, 2001

Date: June 30, 2001 · 15:45 local
Place: Sanford, NC
Airport: Sanford-Lee County Regional
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N459RM
Reported as: Amtr Velocity
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 900 total30 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

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) Flight initiated to verify operation of new main gear brake installation following satisfactory taxi test. Takeoff and climbout normal with gear retracting normally. While flying in the pattern preparing to land the gear was selected to extend. The right main gear would not extend after numerous attempts of differing altitudes, airspeeds, and attitude. Pilot elected to land gear up, as both the nose and left main operated normally. The aircraft sustained minimal damage as engine was shut down prior to landing. Investigation revealed right main landing gear tire had separated between the plies and the tire swelled jamming in the wheel well. Once larger opening made for tire to clear, the right gear extended normally. Owener and mechanic enlarged both wheel openings and replaced the tire. Operational test of gear satisfactory. Malfunction and defect report generated.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) FLIGHT INITIATED TO VERIFY OPERATION OF NEW MAIN GEAR BRAKE INSTALLATION FOLLOWING SATISFACTORY TAXI TEST. TAKEOFF AND CLIMBOUT NORMAL WITH GEAR RETRACTING NORMALLY. WHILE FLYING IN THE PATTERN PREPARING TO LAND THE GEAR WAS SELECTED TO EXTEND. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS OF DIFFERING ALTITUDES, AIRSPEEDS, AND ATTITUDE. PILOT ELECTED TO LAND GEAR UP, AS BOTH THE NOSE AND LEFT MAIN OPERATED NORMALLY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINIMAL DAMAGE AS ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN PRIOR TO LANDING. INVESTIGATION REVEALED RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRE HAD SEPARATED BETWEEN THE PLIES AND THE TIRE SWELLED JAMMING IN THE WHEEL WELL. ONCE LARGER OPENING MADE FOR TIRE TO CLEAR, THE RIGHT GEAR EXTENDED NORMALLY. OWENER AND MECHANIC ENLARGED BOTH WHEEL OPENINGS AND REPLACED THE TIRE. OPERATIONAL TEST OF GEAR SATISFACTORY. MALFUNCTION AND DEFECT REPORT GENERATED.