20030115004269I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Wichita, KS · January 15, 2003

Date: January 15, 2003 · 06:55 local
Place: Wichita, KS
Airport: Wichita Mid-Continent
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: DD5A
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N331FC
Reported as: Piper PA23250
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,400 total1,200 in this make and model290 in the last 90 days

N331FCRegistration cancelled Oct 24, 2006 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-7554024 · Built 1974 Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250 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) On 01/15/2003, at approximately 0655 hours, the nose gear collapsed on a Piper PA23-250 (N331FC) while landing on runway 1R at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. The pilot, edulji banaji (ATP certificate #512157538) reported that prior to landing, he verified that the aircraft's landing gear was extended by visually checking and confirming that three landing gear lights were illuminated. He also visually checked to see if the taxi light, installed to the front portion of the nose gear assembly, was illuminated. Visual identification of the taxi light merely verifies that the nose gear is extended but does not verify that it is locked into position. The pilot stated he first realized that the nose gear was not locked into position after the aircraft's lift diminished and the nose settled below the normal landing position.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 01/15/2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 0655 HOURS, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON A PIPER PA23-250 (N331FC) WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 1R AT WICHITA MID-CONTINENT AIRPORT. THE PILOT, EDULJI BANAJI (ATP CERTIFICATE #512157538) REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO LANDING, HE VERIFIED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED BY VISUALLY CHECKING AND CONFIRMING THAT THREE LANDING GEAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. HE ALSO VISUALLY CHECKED TO SEE IF THE TAXI LIGHT, INSTALLED TO THE FRONT PORTION OF THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY, WAS ILLUMINATED. VISUAL IDENTIFICATION OF THE TAXI LIGHT MERELY VERIFIES THAT THE NOSE GEAR IS EXTENDED BUT DOES NOT VERIFY THAT IT IS LOCKED INTO POSITION. THE PILOT STATED HE FIRST REALIZED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT LOCKED INTO POSITION AFTER THE AIRCRAFT'S LIFT DIMINISHED AND THE NOSE SETTLED BELOW THE NORMAL LANDING POSITION.

Other reports on N331FC · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20060321007069AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Emporia, KS(-23) Pilot encountered icing conditions while enroute to ict from mkc. Aircraft became incapable of climbing or maintaining altitude. Aircraft continued to descend until it struck a tree approximately 3 miles southeast of the Emporia Municipal Airport.…Mar 21, 2006 · Substantial damage