What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot's statement: on Wednesday may 26, 2004, my wife and I departed palomar airport in carlsbad, California (kcrq) at about 1:20PM local time in a Cessna 182RG, registration number N3638C, on an IFR flight plan to lake Havasu city, Arizona (khii). Shortly after passing the parker VOR, I cancelled IFR and proceeded direct to khii. While preparing for the landing, I lowered the landing gear lever and the gear seemed to come down as normal, however, the green light did not illuminate. The gear appeared to be in the normal down and locked position (main gear legs directly visible, and nose gear visible in a mirror mounted beneath the left wing). The light bulb function tested okay (push-to-test). I recycled the landing gear with the same result. I referred to the emergency checklist for "landing gear fails to extend" and completed the procedure. While attempting to pump the gear down by hand, there was heavy resistance indicative of the gear being fully extended. Seeing that the gear was down in its normal position and having felt the resistance to pumping, I concluded that the gear was down as FAR as it was going to go and suspected that there was instead a fault in the gear warning system. I proceeded with the emergency procedure checklist for "landing without positive indication of gear locking." I made a normal approach to runway 14 at khii with full flaps and carried a small amount of power into the landing flare to achieve the softest possible touchdown. With a slight right crosswind, the right main gear touched down first and held its position, followed by the left main gear. At this point, I reduced the power to the idle stop and gently lowered the nose wheel to the runway. Travelling at about 25 knots, the nose gear initially held for an instant then suddenly collapsed completely. The propeller struck the runway, stopping the engine and the airplane slid about 150 feet down the runway on the main gear wheels, nose gear doors, and both exhaust stacks. After coming to a stop, I pulled the mixture to idle cut-off and turned the fuel selector valve to the "off" position. A commuter turboprop announced on the radio that it was taxiing into position on the runway so I made a brief announcement stating that I was disabled on the runway before shutting off the master switch and magnetos. My wife and I then evacuated the airplane. Assistance arrived from sun western flyers (telephone: (928) 764-8000) and the airplane was moved off the west side of the runway. After 5 to 10 minutes of effort by mechanics using a pry bar, the nose gear was locked into position then the airplane was towed to a parking spot in the transient ramp.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT'S STATEMENT: ON WEDNESDAY MAY 26, 2004, MY WIFE AND I DEPARTED PALOMAR AIRPORT IN CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA (KCRQ) AT ABOUT 1:20PM LOCAL TIME IN A CESSNA 182RG, REGISTRATION NUMBER N3638C, ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN TO LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA (KHII). SHORTLY AFTER PASSING THE PARKER VOR, I CANCELLED IFR AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO KHII. WHILE PREPARING FOR THE LANDING, I LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR LEVER AND THE GEAR SEEMED TO COME DOWN AS NORMAL, HOWEVER, THE GREEN LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE IN THE NORMAL DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION (MAIN GEAR LEGS DIRECTLY VISIBLE, AND NOSE GEAR VISIBLE IN A MIRROR MOUNTED BENEATH THE LEFT WING). THE LIGHT BULB FUNCTION TESTED OKAY (PUSH-TO-TEST). I RECYCLED THE LANDING GEAR WITH THE SAME RESULT. I REFERRED TO THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST FOR "LANDING GEAR FAILS TO EXTEND" AND COMPLETED THE PROCEDURE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PUMP THE GEAR DOWN BY HAND, THERE WAS HEAVY RESISTANCE INDICATIVE OF THE GEAR BEING FULLY EXTENDED. SEEING THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN IN ITS NORMAL POSITION AND HAVING FELT THE RESISTANCE TO PUMPING, I CONCLUDED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AS FAR AS IT WAS GOING TO GO AND SUSPECTED THAT THERE WAS INSTEAD A FAULT IN THE GEAR WARNING SYSTEM. I PROCEEDED WITH THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE CHECKLIST FOR "LANDING WITHOUT POSITIVE INDICATION OF GEAR LOCKING." I MADE A NORMAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 14 AT KHII WITH FULL FLAPS AND CARRIED A SMALL AMOUNT OF POWER INTO THE LANDING FLARE TO ACHIEVE THE SOFTEST POSSIBLE TOUCHDOWN. WITH A SLIGHT RIGHT CROSSWIND, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN FIRST AND HELD ITS POSITION, FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. AT THIS POINT, I REDUCED THE POWER TO THE IDLE STOP AND GENTLY LOWERED THE NOSE WHEEL TO THE RUNWAY. TRAVELLING AT ABOUT 25 KNOTS, THE NOSE GEAR INITIALLY HELD FOR AN INSTANT THEN SUDDENLY COLLAPSED COMPLETELY. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY, STOPPING THE ENGINE AND THE AIRPLANE SLID ABOUT 150 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY ON THE MAIN GEAR WHEELS, NOSE GEAR DOORS, AND BOTH EXHAUST STACKS. AFTER COMING TO A STOP, I PULLED THE MIXTURE TO IDLE CUT-OFF AND TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO THE "OFF" POSITION. A COMMUTER TURBOPROP ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO THAT IT WAS TAXIING INTO POSITION ON THE RUNWAY SO I MADE A BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT STATING THAT I WAS DISABLED ON THE RUNWAY BEFORE SHUTTING OFF THE MASTER SWITCH AND MAGNETOS. MY WIFE AND I THEN EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE. ASSISTANCE ARRIVED FROM SUN WESTERN FLYERS (TELEPHONE: (928) 764-8000) AND THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVED OFF THE WEST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. AFTER 5 TO 10 MINUTES OF EFFORT BY MECHANICS USING A PRY BAR, THE NOSE GEAR WAS LOCKED INTO POSITION THEN THE AIRPLANE WAS TOWED TO A PARKING SPOT IN THE TRANSIENT RAMP.