20050729018099I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA 46-350P · Nantucket, MA · July 29, 2005

Date: July 29, 2005 · 18:09 local
Place: Nantucket, MA
Airport: Nantucket Memorial
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N92821
Reported as: Piper PA46350P
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,000 total2,400 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N92821Registered now · Piper PA 46-350PS/N 4636081 · Built 1997 Airframe modelPiper PA 46-350P Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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 reported that the nose landing gear would not extend on approach to ack. Unable to extend the gear using emergency procedures. Photographs of the aircraft hydraulic indicator showe the hydraulic fluid level below the (l) low level indicator index. Pilot said that on preflight the hydraulic qty was normal. The Piper incident report shows that the nose landing gear actuator rod end is separated from the rod in photographs 6 and 7. The 5 amp hydraulic pumb c/b was open. The aircraft made several stops between its point of origin, merritt island FL and Nantucket ma with no problems. The mechanic that examined the aircraft for an estimate stated to me that the rod end that broke off or separated from the actuator shaft jammed the nose strut in the up position. He also said that when the aircraft was placed in its normal attitude the hydraulic indicator recovered.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND ON APPROACH TO ACK. UNABLE TO EXTEND THE GEAR USING EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AIRCRAFT HYDRAULIC INDICATOR SHOWE THE HYDRAULIC FLUID LEVEL BELOW THE (L) LOW LEVEL INDICATOR INDEX. PILOT SAID THAT ON PREFLIGHT THE HYDRAULIC QTY WAS NORMAL. THE PIPER INCIDENT REPORT SHOWS THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR ROD END IS SEPARATED FROM THE ROD IN PHOTOGRAPHS 6 AND 7. THE 5 AMP HYDRAULIC PUMB C/B WAS OPEN. THE AIRCRAFT MADE SEVERAL STOPS BETWEEN ITS POINT OF ORIGIN, MERRITT ISLAND FL AND NANTUCKET MA WITH NO PROBLEMS. THE MECHANIC THAT EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT FOR AN ESTIMATE STATED TO ME THAT THE ROD END THAT BROKE OFF OR SEPARATED FROM THE ACTUATOR SHAFT JAMMED THE NOSE STRUT IN THE UP POSITION. HE ALSO SAID THAT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS PLACED IN ITS NORMAL ATTITUDE THE HYDRAULIC INDICATOR RECOVERED.