20030208001229I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Blanca 17-30A · Savannah, GA · February 8, 2003

Date: February 8, 2003 · 12:42 local
Place: Savannah, GA
Airport: Savannah International
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N28177
Reported as: Blanca 1730A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,850 total1,500 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N28177Registered now · Bellanca 17-30AS/N 78-30883 · Built 1978 Airframe modelBellanca 17-30A 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) Airplane was in annual inspection in greensboro, GA. Pilot flew it to sav and could not get a safe indication on the nose gear when extending the landing gear. Performed a fly by the tower which confirmed that the nose gear was only partially extended. Declared emergency after following prodedures for such a situation and cut off the mixture on short final. The prop continued windmilling and struck the pavement when the nose gear fully collapsed. Pilot suspects blow down feature.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRPLANE WAS IN ANNUAL INSPECTION IN GREENSBORO, GA. PILOT FLEW IT TO SAV AND COULD NOT GET A SAFE INDICATION ON THE NOSE GEAR WHEN EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR. PERFORMED A FLY BY THE TOWER WHICH CONFIRMED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS ONLY PARTIALLY EXTENDED. DECLARED EMERGENCY AFTER FOLLOWING PRODEDURES FOR SUCH A SITUATION AND CUT OFF THE MIXTURE ON SHORT FINAL. THE PROP CONTINUED WINDMILLING AND STRUCK THE PAVEMENT WHEN THE NOSE GEAR FULLY COLLAPSED. PILOT SUSPECTS BLOW DOWN FEATURE.