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20050527008889I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172RG · Tulsa, OK · May 27, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 27, 2005 · 16:30 local
Place
Tulsa, OK
Airport
Tulsa International
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9740B
Reported as
Cessna 172RG
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
40,000 total10,000 in this make and model300 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) Pilot took off from madisonville, KY and flew to Tulsa, OK. On approach, gear was selected down with the left and right mains coming down and locked. The green light failed to illuminate. Indicator was good so he cycled the landing gear with the same results. Pilot initiated a go-around and requested a fly by to verify nose gear position. Gear was not visible. The company maintenance personnel was contacted and numerous maneuvers were tried to get the nose gear to extend, none were successful. On final approach, pilot unlatched both doors and selected full flaps. After turning off the fuel and pulling the mixture to full lean, he held the nose off the ground as long as possible, while the propeller stopped turning, in the horizontal position. The nose of the aircraft contacted the runway with minor damage. Post flight inspection revealed evidence of a large bird strike causing distortion of the nose gear doors. The nose of the aircraft was lifted up and the nose gear doors were pried open. The nose gear dropped and locked and the pilot started the motor and taxied the aircraft to the maintenance hangar.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT TOOK OFF FROM MADISONVILLE, KY AND FLEW TO TULSA, OK. ON APPROACH, GEAR WAS SELECTED DOWN WITH THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAINS COMING DOWN AND LOCKED. THE GREEN LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. INDICATOR WAS GOOD SO HE CYCLED THE LANDING GEAR WITH THE SAME RESULTS. PILOT INITIATED A GO-AROUND AND REQUESTED A FLY BY TO VERIFY NOSE GEAR POSITION. GEAR WAS NOT VISIBLE. THE COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WAS CONTACTED AND NUMEROUS MANEUVERS WERE TRIED TO GET THE NOSE GEAR TO EXTEND, NONE WERE SUCCESSFUL. ON FINAL APPROACH, PILOT UNLATCHED BOTH DOORS AND SELECTED FULL FLAPS. AFTER TURNING OFF THE FUEL AND PULLING THE MIXTURE TO FULL LEAN, HE HELD THE NOSE OFF THE GROUND AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, WHILE THE PROPELLER STOPPED TURNING, IN THE HORIZONTAL POSITION. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY WITH MINOR DAMAGE. POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF A LARGE BIRD STRIKE CAUSING DISTORTION OF THE NOSE GEAR DOORS. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED UP AND THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE PRIED OPEN. THE NOSE GEAR DROPPED AND LOCKED AND THE PILOT STARTED THE MOTOR AND TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE MAINTENANCE HANGAR.