OpenAirDocs.org

20080617845339I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Beech 76 · New Smyrna Bea, FL · June 17, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 17, 2008 · 11:05 local
Place
New Smyrna Bea, FL
Airport
New Smyrna Beach Municipal
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
EPXS
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2013Z
Reported as
Beech 76
Reported engine
Lycoming O360*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N2013ZRegistration cancelled Sep 9, 2009 · Beech 76S/N ME-83 · Built 1978Airframe modelBeech 76Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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) On June 17, 2008, aircraft N2013Z, a Piper PA-76, received minor damages when it's nose gear collapsed after a short field landing. Both the instructor (pilot) and the student reported three greens, indicating the main and nose landing gears were down and locked. An eye-witness stated that he saw the aircraft land on it's main landing gear, roll forward on all three gears when suddenly the nose gear collapsed. An inspection of the nose gear actuator revealed a defective actuator. A lock nut secures a piston to the shaft. The piston came apart from the shaft when the lock nut broke off. When the gear is down and locked there is no applied hydraulic pressure. When the landing gear is retracted, pressure is applied to the piston retracting the gear. Static pressure is maintained on the actuator piston, keeping the nose gear down and locked. With a defective actuator, the tension springs can maintain the nose gear down and locked. However, sudden stop or bump, will cause the nose gear to collapse. We were unable to determine whether the actuator became defective by hard landings or worn internally. M or d issued.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JUNE 17, 2008, AIRCRAFT N2013Z, A PIPER PA-76, RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGES WHEN IT'S NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AFTER A SHORT FIELD LANDING. BOTH THE INSTRUCTOR (PILOT) AND THE STUDENT REPORTED THREE GREENS, INDICATING THE MAIN AND NOSE LANDING GEARS WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. AN EYE-WITNESS STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT LAND ON IT'S MAIN LANDING GEAR, ROLL FORWARD ON ALL THREE GEARS WHEN SUDDENLY THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. AN INSPECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR REVEALED A DEFECTIVE ACTUATOR. A LOCK NUT SECURES A PISTON TO THE SHAFT. THE PISTON CAME APART FROM THE SHAFT WHEN THE LOCK NUT BROKE OFF. WHEN THE GEAR IS DOWN AND LOCKED THERE IS NO APPLIED HYDRAULIC PRESSURE. WHEN THE LANDING GEAR IS RETRACTED, PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE PISTON RETRACTING THE GEAR. STATIC PRESSURE IS MAINTAINED ON THE ACTUATOR PISTON, KEEPING THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. WITH A DEFECTIVE ACTUATOR, THE TENSION SPRINGS CAN MAINTAIN THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. HOWEVER, SUDDEN STOP OR BUMP, WILL CAUSE THE NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE. WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE ACTUATOR BECAME DEFECTIVE BY HARD LANDINGS OR WORN INTERNALLY. M OR D ISSUED.