20041106027149I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Conaer LA-4-200 · Kalispell, MT · November 6, 2004

Date: November 6, 2004 · 17:34 local
Place: Kalispell, MT
Airport: Glacier Park International
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N65639
Reported as: Conaer LA4200
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N65639Registration cancelled May 27, 2014 · Lake LA-4-200S/N 578 · Built 1973 Airframe modelLake LA-4-200 Engine modelLycoming I0360 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) Aircraft gave no positive "gear up and locked" indication for the nose gear after take-off. Pilot could not get a positive "gear down and locked" indication for the nose gear after selecting the gear down position. Pilot determined that the nose gear was hung up by performing a tower fly-by and confirming the nose wheel was partially visible in the gear doors. Pilot elected not to perform a water landing and instead landed at the airport with only minor damage to the trailing edge of the nose gear doors. Pilot/owner and maintenance personnel suspect the nose gear oleo strut had lost pressure which allowed strut to compress and interfere with gear doors during retraction/extension operation. This form to be amended when maintenance determination is concluded and possible malfunction or defect report completed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT GAVE NO POSITIVE "GEAR UP AND LOCKED" INDICATION FOR THE NOSE GEAR AFTER TAKE-OFF. PILOT COULD NOT GET A POSITIVE "GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED" INDICATION FOR THE NOSE GEAR AFTER SELECTING THE GEAR DOWN POSITION. PILOT DETERMINED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS HUNG UP BY PERFORMING A TOWER FLY-BY AND CONFIRMING THE NOSE WHEEL WAS PARTIALLY VISIBLE IN THE GEAR DOORS. PILOT ELECTED NOT TO PERFORM A WATER LANDING AND INSTEAD LANDED AT THE AIRPORT WITH ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE NOSE GEAR DOORS. PILOT/OWNER AND MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL SUSPECT THE NOSE GEAR OLEO STRUT HAD LOST PRESSURE WHICH ALLOWED STRUT TO COMPRESS AND INTERFERE WITH GEAR DOORS DURING RETRACTION/EXTENSION OPERATION. THIS FORM TO BE AMENDED WHEN MAINTENANCE DETERMINATION IS CONCLUDED AND POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT COMPLETED.