20020228002369I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Gulstm 500-A · Chattanooga, TN · February 28, 2002

Date: February 28, 2002 · 18:38 local
Place: Chattanooga, TN
Airport: Lovell Field
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N152K
Reported as: Gulstm 500A
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,454 total2,648 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days

N152KRegistered now · Aero Commander 500-AS/N 500A-1258-82 · Built 1962 Airframe modelAero Commander 500-A Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

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) Pilot noted no green light, indicating that the nose landing gear was not down and locked. Contacted ATC and during flyby tower advised that the gear did not appear to be down completely. Cylced gear several times and made another pass. This time an aircraft awaiting departure also advised that the gear did not appear to be down. Pilot made landing keeping nose up as long as possible. Upon nose touching down the nose gear completely disappeared into the gear well. Only damage was to the nose gear doors which were ground by the runway. Maintenance facility is preparing a statement as to their findings.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT NOTED NO GREEN LIGHT, INDICATING THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. CONTACTED ATC AND DURING FLYBY TOWER ADVISED THAT THE GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DOWN COMPLETELY. CYLCED GEAR SEVERAL TIMES AND MADE ANOTHER PASS. THIS TIME AN AIRCRAFT AWAITING DEPARTURE ALSO ADVISED THAT THE GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DOWN. PILOT MADE LANDING KEEPING NOSE UP AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. UPON NOSE TOUCHING DOWN THE NOSE GEAR COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED INTO THE GEAR WELL. ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WHICH WERE GROUND BY THE RUNWAY. MAINTENANCE FACILITY IS PREPARING A STATEMENT AS TO THEIR FINDINGS.