20030405017139I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172RG · Laurel, DE · April 5, 2003

Date
April 5, 2003 · 18:00 local
Place
Laurel, DE
Airport
Laurel Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6440V
Reported as
Cessna 172RG
Reported engine
Lycoming O360*
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
231 total157 in this make and model56 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) On April 5, 2003, at approximately 18:00 EST, a Cessna CE-172RG landed gear-up on runway 33 at Laurel Airport, Laurel Delaware (N06). Neither the private pilot nor two passengers were injured. The 14 CFR part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and no flight plan had been filed with ATC. The flight last departed ocean city municipal airport, ocean city, Maryland (oxb) to drop off passengers at N06. The pilot stated that after making a 45-degree entry to the traffic pattern for rwy 33 at N06, he completed the pre-landing checklist while on the downwind leg. He further stated that he extended this downwind for safety reasons due to the grass runway conditions. The pilot offered conflicting statements as to when he selected the landing gear down, and had no specific recollection of visually confirming that all three landing gear were down and locked. A statement from one of the passengers indicated that the landing was normal and offered no further insight. The aircraft touched down approximately 1500 feet from the approach end of rwy 33. The runway at N06 is 3175 feet with a 270-foot displaced threshold. The pilot stated that he was not aware of anythingwrong until after touchdown and the propeller had come in contact with the ground. During on scene inspection, it was noted that the propeller had suffered several ground strikes causing both blades to be bent and sudden engine stoppage. No landing gear tire marks were observed in the soft turf. Several lower fuselage antennas were also severed from the aircraft and minor belly skin damage was evident. The main landing gear was partially extended approximately 6-10 inches from the main gear wells. The nose gear doors were opened, and the nose gear partially deployed. There was no damage to the nose gear doors or landing gear, however, the engine exhaust pipe was bent and the engine drain mast was plugged with grass and dirt. No other physical evidence of damage from the incident was noted. The owner was issued a condition notice identifying the aforementioned damage from the landing gear incident. The engine and propeller have since been removed for teardown and repair. A full functional check of the landing gear is pending until such time the aircraft can be ferried to the owner's maintenance facilities. This report will be amended after the landing gear system has been evaluated . (-23 amendment) the engine and propeller assemblies were replaced and the aircraft ferried to the owner's maintenance facility on or about 05-12-03. Maintenance personnel jacked up the aircraft and performed landing gear extension/retraction checks in the presence of a FAA inspector with no defects noted. privacy data omitted This matter is considered closed. End/fhb.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APRIL 5, 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 18:00 EST, A CESSNA CE-172RG LANDED GEAR-UP ON RUNWAY 33 AT LAUREL AIRPORT, LAUREL DELAWARE (N06). NEITHER THE PRIVATE PILOT NOR TWO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED WITH ATC. THE FLIGHT LAST DEPARTED OCEAN CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND (OXB) TO DROP OFF PASSENGERS AT N06. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER MAKING A 45-DEGREE ENTRY TO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RWY 33 AT N06, HE COMPLETED THE PRE-LANDING CHECKLIST WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE EXTENDED THIS DOWNWIND FOR SAFETY REASONS DUE TO THE GRASS RUNWAY CONDITIONS. THE PILOT OFFERED CONFLICTING STATEMENTS AS TO WHEN HE SELECTED THE LANDING GEAR DOWN, AND HAD NO SPECIFIC RECOLLECTION OF VISUALLY CONFIRMING THAT ALL THREE LANDING GEAR WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. A STATEMENT FROM ONE OF THE PASSENGERS INDICATED THAT THE LANDING WAS NORMAL AND OFFERED NO FURTHER INSIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RWY 33. THE RUNWAY AT N06 IS 3175 FEET WITH A 270-FOOT DISPLACED THRESHOLD. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANYTHINGWRONG UNTIL AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND THE PROPELLER HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. DURING ON SCENE INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE PROPELLER HAD SUFFERED SEVERAL GROUND STRIKES CAUSING BOTH BLADES TO BE BENT AND SUDDEN ENGINE STOPPAGE. NO LANDING GEAR TIRE MARKS WERE OBSERVED IN THE SOFT TURF. SEVERAL LOWER FUSELAGE ANTENNAS WERE ALSO SEVERED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND MINOR BELLY SKIN DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS PARTIALLY EXTENDED APPROXIMATELY 6-10 INCHES FROM THE MAIN GEAR WELLS. THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE OPENED, AND THE NOSE GEAR PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR DOORS OR LANDING GEAR, HOWEVER, THE ENGINE EXHAUST PIPE WAS BENT AND THE ENGINE DRAIN MAST WAS PLUGGED WITH GRASS AND DIRT. NO OTHER PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE FROM THE INCIDENT WAS NOTED. THE OWNER WAS ISSUED A CONDITION NOTICE IDENTIFYING THE AFOREMENTIONED DAMAGE FROM THE LANDING GEAR INCIDENT. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER HAVE SINCE BEEN REMOVED FOR TEARDOWN AND REPAIR. A FULL FUNCTIONAL CHECK OF THE LANDING GEAR IS PENDING UNTIL SUCH TIME THE AIRCRAFT CAN BE FERRIED TO THE OWNER'S MAINTENANCE FACILITIES. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED AFTER THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM HAS BEEN EVALUATED . (-23 AMENDMENT) THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED AND THE AIRCRAFT FERRIED TO THE OWNER'S MAINTENANCE FACILITY ON OR ABOUT 05-12-03. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL JACKED UP THE AIRCRAFT AND PERFORMED LANDING GEAR EXTENSION/RETRACTION CHECKS IN THE PRESENCE OF A FAA INSPECTOR WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THIS MATTER IS CONSIDERED CLOSED. END/FHB.