20090318002219I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna M337B · Lehighton, PA · March 18, 2009

Date: March 18, 2009 · 14:30 local
Place: Lehighton, PA
Airport: Jake Arner Memorial
Phase of flight: Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N102WB
Reported as: Cessna M337B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,007 total658 in this make and model39 in the last 90 days

N102WBRegistered now · Cessna M337BS/N 337M0104 · Built 1968 Airframe modelCessna M337B Engine modelContinental IO-360-DReciprocating

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 the landing gear would not extend into the down and locked position. A fly-by revealed that the main landing gear appeared to be in the mid position, with the nose gear full down. An attempt was made by the pilot to retract the gear, but the landing gear stayed in the mid position. A landing was made with the gear in the mid position, with minor damage to the aircraft. The main gear doors, both forward and aft doors sustained damage along with the rear engine prop. The aircraft was moved to the hangar for troubleshooting. With external hydraulic power applied to the aircraft, the landing gear would only complete a partial cycle and stuck in the mid position. The hydraulic power pack was removed for evaluation and overhaul.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT REPORTED THE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND INTO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. A FLY-BY REVEALED THAT THE MAIN LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE IN THE MID POSITION, WITH THE NOSE GEAR FULL DOWN. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE BY THE PILOT TO RETRACT THE GEAR, BUT THE LANDING GEAR STAYED IN THE MID POSITION. A LANDING WAS MADE WITH THE GEAR IN THE MID POSITION, WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE MAIN GEAR DOORS, BOTH FORWARD AND AFT DOORS SUSTAINED DAMAGE ALONG WITH THE REAR ENGINE PROP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO THE HANGAR FOR TROUBLESHOOTING. WITH EXTERNAL HYDRAULIC POWER APPLIED TO THE AIRCRAFT, THE LANDING GEAR WOULD ONLY COMPLETE A PARTIAL CYCLE AND STUCK IN THE MID POSITION. THE HYDRAULIC POWER PACK WAS REMOVED FOR EVALUATION AND OVERHAUL.