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20040723024169A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr DEFIANT · Deland, FL · July 23, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 23, 2004 · 16:58 local
Place
Deland, FL
Airport
Deland Municipal-Sidney H Taylor
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N369BL
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA04LA111
Reported as
Amtr Defiant
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,499 total11 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days
N369BLRegistration cancelled Jun 19, 2017 · Labonte Robert J DEFIANTS/N D-0369 · Built 2004Airframe modelLabonte Robert J DEFIANTEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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) On 7-23-2004 at 1658 local time, a homebuilt Defiant, N369BL, experienced a collapse of the nose landing gear upon touchdown on runway 05 at Deland municipal airport, Deland, FL. The aircraft slid off the right side of the runway and struck a runway sign, causing substantial damage to the right canard, right elevator, and fuselage of the aircraft. The pilot stated that the flight originated from massey airpark at about 1640 local time, and that upon base leg for runway 05 at Deland municipal airport, he lowered the nose landing gear and assumed that it was locked. However, upon touchdown, the nose gear collapsed. The pilot stated that, upon removal of the aircraft from the side of the runway, the nose was raised and the nose gear was lowered and locked into the down and locked position. There was no failure of the nose landing gear retraction/extension system observed during such operation. The pilot further stated that, during the landing, the nose gear down lock may have been only partially engaged, thus allowing the gear to collapse.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 7-23-2004 AT 1658 LOCAL TIME, A HOMEBUILT DEFIANT, N369BL, EXPERIENCED A COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR UPON TOUCHDOWN ON RUNWAY 05 AT DELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, DELAND, FL. THE AIRCRAFT SLID OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A RUNWAY SIGN, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT CANARD, RIGHT ELEVATOR, AND FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MASSEY AIRPARK AT ABOUT 1640 LOCAL TIME, AND THAT UPON BASE LEG FOR RUNWAY 05 AT DELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, HE LOWERED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND ASSUMED THAT IT WAS LOCKED. HOWEVER, UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PILOT STATED THAT, UPON REMOVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THE NOSE WAS RAISED AND THE NOSE GEAR WAS LOWERED AND LOCKED INTO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. THERE WAS NO FAILURE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION/EXTENSION SYSTEM OBSERVED DURING SUCH OPERATION. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT, DURING THE LANDING, THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK MAY HAVE BEEN ONLY PARTIALLY ENGAGED, THUS ALLOWING THE GEAR TO COLLAPSE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA04LA111Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDeLand, FLThe failure of the pilot to fully extend the nose landing gear resulting in collapse of it during the landing roll. A contributing factor in the accident was the lack of a nose landing gear down and locked indicator.Jul 23, 2004 · Substantial damage