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20040310005349I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA44180 · Prescott, AZ · March 10, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 10, 2004 · 13:39 local
Place
Prescott, AZ
Airport
Ernest A Love Field
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
BF8S
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N575ER
Reported as
Piper PA44180
Reported engine
Lycoming O360*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,012 total213 in this make and model110 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) Instructor pilot statement: this flight was a fa 208 stage check. The flight up to the incident was normal. The takeoff and maneuvers in the practice area were all normal. During the flight, the gear was cycled 3 or 4 times with normal operation while at altitude. The first landing performed on runway 3 left was normal. The gear retracted normally. The next landing was to be a single engine landing, but due to the student's unsatisfactory performance, the landing was aborted (no touch down was made), the stage check was cancelled, and I took the controls for the final landing. While on downwind at normal pattern airspeed (+-100KIAS), I extended the gear and noted 3 green lights, no red light, and the nose wheel was visible in the mirror. On short final for runway 3 right (approx. over hwy 89), I asked the student to verify 3 green and he did. I do not remember whether or not I verified the mirror, but I did verify 3 green a second time. The final approach speed was 80KIAS and touchdown was accomplished at a normal speed on the mains and smoothly. Upon lowering the nose, the nose gear immediately or almost immediately collapsed. The airplane smoothly but quickly came to a stop. Tower asked if we were okay, to which I replied yes. My student and I then evacuated the airplane.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATEMENT: THIS FLIGHT WAS A FA 208 STAGE CHECK. THE FLIGHT UP TO THE INCIDENT WAS NORMAL. THE TAKEOFF AND MANEUVERS IN THE PRACTICE AREA WERE ALL NORMAL. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE GEAR WAS CYCLED 3 OR 4 TIMES WITH NORMAL OPERATION WHILE AT ALTITUDE. THE FIRST LANDING PERFORMED ON RUNWAY 3 LEFT WAS NORMAL. THE GEAR RETRACTED NORMALLY. THE NEXT LANDING WAS TO BE A SINGLE ENGINE LANDING, BUT DUE TO THE STUDENT'S UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE, THE LANDING WAS ABORTED (NO TOUCH DOWN WAS MADE), THE STAGE CHECK WAS CANCELLED, AND I TOOK THE CONTROLS FOR THE FINAL LANDING. WHILE ON DOWNWIND AT NORMAL PATTERN AIRSPEED (+-100KIAS), I EXTENDED THE GEAR AND NOTED 3 GREEN LIGHTS, NO RED LIGHT, AND THE NOSE WHEEL WAS VISIBLE IN THE MIRROR. ON SHORT FINAL FOR RUNWAY 3 RIGHT (APPROX. OVER HWY 89), I ASKED THE STUDENT TO VERIFY 3 GREEN AND HE DID. I DO NOT REMEMBER WHETHER OR NOT I VERIFIED THE MIRROR, BUT I DID VERIFY 3 GREEN A SECOND TIME. THE FINAL APPROACH SPEED WAS 80KIAS AND TOUCHDOWN WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT A NORMAL SPEED ON THE MAINS AND SMOOTHLY. UPON LOWERING THE NOSE, THE NOSE GEAR IMMEDIATELY OR ALMOST IMMEDIATELY COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE SMOOTHLY BUT QUICKLY CAME TO A STOP. TOWER ASKED IF WE WERE OKAY, TO WHICH I REPLIED YES. MY STUDENT AND I THEN EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE.