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20030711015629I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Propjt 200D · Houston, TX · July 11, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 11, 2003 · 11:00 local
Place
Houston, TX
Airport
David Wayne Hooks Memorial Arp
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2983T
Reported as
Propjt 200D
Reported engine
Continental IO520*
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
N2983TRegistered now · Aero Commander 200DS/N 356 · Built 1966Airframe modelAero Commander 200DEngine 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) The part 91 VFR flight departed dwh airport at approximately 10:30 am local time for pleasure flight approximately 50 NM to brenham Texas (11R). On arrival in pattern at brenham, main gears showed safe down and nose gear did not. Pilot initiated emergency gear retraction with no success. He also tried multiple extensions and "g" loads to try and dislodge the nose gear. Pilot then flew back to dwh airport. The control tower confirmed that the nose gear was not extended. The pilot landed the aircraft on concrete runway settling the nose carefully to reduce damage. The aircraft sustained minor damage consisting of damage to both prop blades, nose gear doors and the nose cowl. The engine had been shut down on approach so the propeller was windmilling when it contacted the runway. Examination of the wheel well revealed tire marks near the uplock. I suspect that the nose strut did not extend fully on retraction causing the tire to contact the crossover brace when the nose wheel was retracted. Further examination and gear retractions to determine cause is underway.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PART 91 VFR FLIGHT DEPARTED DWH AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 AM LOCAL TIME FOR PLEASURE FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 50 NM TO BRENHAM TEXAS (11R). ON ARRIVAL IN PATTERN AT BRENHAM, MAIN GEARS SHOWED SAFE DOWN AND NOSE GEAR DID NOT. PILOT INITIATED EMERGENCY GEAR RETRACTION WITH NO SUCCESS. HE ALSO TRIED MULTIPLE EXTENSIONS AND "G" LOADS TO TRY AND DISLODGE THE NOSE GEAR. PILOT THEN FLEW BACK TO DWH AIRPORT. THE CONTROL TOWER CONFIRMED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON CONCRETE RUNWAY SETTLING THE NOSE CAREFULLY TO REDUCE DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE CONSISTING OF DAMAGE TO BOTH PROP BLADES, NOSE GEAR DOORS AND THE NOSE COWL. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN ON APPROACH SO THE PROPELLER WAS WINDMILLING WHEN IT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE WHEEL WELL REVEALED TIRE MARKS NEAR THE UPLOCK. I SUSPECT THAT THE NOSE STRUT DID NOT EXTEND FULLY ON RETRACTION CAUSING THE TIRE TO CONTACT THE CROSSOVER BRACE WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL WAS RETRACTED. FURTHER EXAMINATION AND GEAR RETRACTIONS TO DETERMINE CAUSE IS UNDERWAY.