20040506013129I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Boeing B-17G · Van Nuys, CA · May 6, 2004

Date
May 6, 2004 · 16:30 local
Place
Van Nuys, CA
Airport
Van Nuys Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5017N
Reported as
Boeing B17G
People aboard
10
Fatal injuries
0

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) Aircraft landed on runway 16R at vny, and after rolling approximately half way down the runway, both main landing gear collapsed, no injuries were sustained. The aircraft was lifted by crane utilizing built in lifting rings on the wing spars. Once it was lifted, damage to both main landing gear retract mechanisms could be seen. Aircraft was carried by crane off the runway to a spot where it was put on jacks. All other damage to the aircraft was a result of the landing gear collapsing and sliding on the runway, all propellers, #3 engine the lower rocker box covers, waste gate exhaust stack, lower firewall, and the upper nacelle skin, several engine cowlings, belly skins, bomb bay doors, belly turret, upper attach mount for the belly turret, fuselage skin above the upper attach mount for the belly turret. Investigation of photographic documentation revealed that neither of the main gear were down and locked at time of incident. Post investigation found the landing gear position indicating system (green light) was working properly.(-23 amendment) post incident investigation showed that the landing gear retract system functioned normally as did the manual/emergency landing gear extension system. The landing gear down and locked indication light (green light) did not illuminate when it was tested, when a new bulb was installed, the landing gear position indicating system functioned normally. The aircraft owner informed this office verbally that they sent the green light to an independent lab and it was determined that the bulb filament was not illuminated when it failed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 16R AT VNY, AND AFTER ROLLING APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED BY CRANE UTILIZING BUILT IN LIFTING RINGS ON THE WING SPARS. ONCE IT WAS LIFTED, DAMAGE TO BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR RETRACT MECHANISMS COULD BE SEEN. AIRCRAFT WAS CARRIED BY CRANE OFF THE RUNWAY TO A SPOT WHERE IT WAS PUT ON JACKS. ALL OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS A RESULT OF THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSING AND SLIDING ON THE RUNWAY, ALL PROPELLERS, #3 ENGINE THE LOWER ROCKER BOX COVERS, WASTE GATE EXHAUST STACK, LOWER FIREWALL, AND THE UPPER NACELLE SKIN, SEVERAL ENGINE COWLINGS, BELLY SKINS, BOMB BAY DOORS, BELLY TURRET, UPPER ATTACH MOUNT FOR THE BELLY TURRET, FUSELAGE SKIN ABOVE THE UPPER ATTACH MOUNT FOR THE BELLY TURRET. INVESTIGATION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION REVEALED THAT NEITHER OF THE MAIN GEAR WERE DOWN AND LOCKED AT TIME OF INCIDENT. POST INVESTIGATION FOUND THE LANDING GEAR POSITION INDICATING SYSTEM (GREEN LIGHT) WAS WORKING PROPERLY.(-23 AMENDMENT) POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE LANDING GEAR RETRACT SYSTEM FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AS DID THE MANUAL/EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM. THE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION LIGHT (GREEN LIGHT) DID NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN IT WAS TESTED, WHEN A NEW BULB WAS INSTALLED, THE LANDING GEAR POSITION INDICATING SYSTEM FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER INFORMED THIS OFFICE VERBALLY THAT THEY SENT THE GREEN LIGHT TO AN INDEPENDENT LAB AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BULB FILAMENT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED WHEN IT FAILED.