20081212855999I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-235 · Smithfield, NC · December 12, 2008

Date: December 12, 2008 · 16:45 local
Place: Smithfield, NC
Airport: Johnston County
Phase of flight: Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4918P
Reported as: Piper PA23235
Reported engine: Lycoming O540B1A5
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N4918PRegistration cancelled Dec 10, 2012 · Piper PA-23-235S/N 27-508 Airframe modelPiper PA-23-235 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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) Pilot was familiarizing himself with the aircraft in preparation of a ferry flight across the north atlantic to great britain. The pilot secured the left engine to practice engine out procedures. A short time later he attempted to restart the engine with negative results. The landing gear was pumped down manually but the pilot did not receive a landing gear down (and locked) indication in cockpit. Two fly-bys were made to visually check the landing gear. Ground personnel stated the landing gear appeared down and locked. The pilot landed the aircraft. When the aircraft nose was lowered the pilot said it did not feel right. He pulled back on the yoke and secured the right engine. The pilot then released pressure on the yoke and allowed the nose to settle. The nose touched down and shortly thereafter collapsed. The aircraft slid to a stop. The engines were secure. The pilot exited the aircraft with no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS FAMILIARIZING HIMSELF WITH THE AIRCRAFT IN PREPARATION OF A FERRY FLIGHT ACROSS THE NORTH ATLANTIC TO GREAT BRITAIN. THE PILOT SECURED THE LEFT ENGINE TO PRACTICE ENGINE OUT PROCEDURES. A SHORT TIME LATER HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. THE LANDING GEAR WAS PUMPED DOWN MANUALLY BUT THE PILOT DID NOT RECEIVE A LANDING GEAR DOWN (AND LOCKED) INDICATION IN COCKPIT. TWO FLY-BYS WERE MADE TO VISUALLY CHECK THE LANDING GEAR. GROUND PERSONNEL STATED THE LANDING GEAR APPEARED DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT NOSE WAS LOWERED THE PILOT SAID IT DID NOT FEEL RIGHT. HE PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE AND SECURED THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PILOT THEN RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE YOKE AND ALLOWED THE NOSE TO SETTLE. THE NOSE TOUCHED DOWN AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP. THE ENGINES WERE SECURE. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.