20031224033879I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech A36 · Grand Rapids, MI · December 24, 2003

Date: December 24, 2003 · 19:15 local
Place: Grand Rapids, MI
Airport: Kent County International
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N1870W
Reported as: Beech A36
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 478 total370 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N1870WRegistered now · Beech A36S/N E-435 · Built 1973 Airframe modelBeech A36 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) Upon departure from nappanee, in (C03), pilot heard a thump when retracting gear and gear in transit light remained on. Pilot decided to continue to Grand Rapids as it was christmas eve and C03 is an uncontrolled airport with no one on site. Pilot informed approach control of the potential gear problem on initial contact. Pilot tried to extend gear normally resulting in two green lights on the mains and none on the nose gear. Pilot flew by the tower for a visual inspection of the gear. Tower informed the pilot that the nose gear was partially extended. Pilot then pulled the landing gear circuit breaker and tried to manually extend the gear. After flying around approximately one hour with several attempts to extend the nose gear, the pilot landed on 26L at which time the nose gear collapsed. Pilot and passengers successfully evacuated the aircraft. Aircraft configuration and damage was consistent with pilot's report of the event.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) UPON DEPARTURE FROM NAPPANEE, IN (C03), PILOT HEARD A THUMP WHEN RETRACTING GEAR AND GEAR IN TRANSIT LIGHT REMAINED ON. PILOT DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO GRAND RAPIDS AS IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVE AND C03 IS AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT WITH NO ONE ON SITE. PILOT INFORMED APPROACH CONTROL OF THE POTENTIAL GEAR PROBLEM ON INITIAL CONTACT. PILOT TRIED TO EXTEND GEAR NORMALLY RESULTING IN TWO GREEN LIGHTS ON THE MAINS AND NONE ON THE NOSE GEAR. PILOT FLEW BY THE TOWER FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE GEAR. TOWER INFORMED THE PILOT THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS PARTIALLY EXTENDED. PILOT THEN PULLED THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER AND TRIED TO MANUALLY EXTEND THE GEAR. AFTER FLYING AROUND APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR WITH SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR, THE PILOT LANDED ON 26L AT WHICH TIME THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. PILOT AND PASSENGERS SUCCESSFULLY EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION AND DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH PILOT'S REPORT OF THE EVENT.