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20090425008969I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech F33A · Goodyear, AZ · April 25, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 25, 2009 · 10:08 local
Place
Goodyear, AZ
Airport
Phoenix Goodyear
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
VJ3S
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8173C
Reported as
Beech F33A
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N8173CRegistered now · Beech F33AS/N CE-1541 · Built 1990Airframe modelBeech F33AEngine modelContinental IO-520 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 04-25-2009 at approx 0730 a flight instructor and 2 students departed Goodyear (gyr). During take-off the instructor noticed a slight shimmy in the nose gear that stopped as the gear was raised. The tower notified the instructor that he had lost the nose gear strut. The instructor elected to burn off fuel and contact maintenance. After approximately 2.5 hours flying, the pilot had both students move to the rear seats and lowered the gear. During fly by of the tower, it was confirmed that the lower portion of the nose gear strut was gone. The instructor performed a soft-field landing, holding the nose gear off as long as possible. He cut the engine and moved the prop to an inverted "y". Upon touchdown the aircraft slid on the upper portion of the nose strut for approx 15 feet and came to rest with no damage to the prop or aircraft fuselage, other than scraping damage to the upper strut. The nose shimmy damper had broken loose from the attach point as well and was bent. There were no injuries to either the instructor or students. The lower strut, torque link attach bolt and nut were recovered, but not the cotter pin.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 04-25-2009 AT APPROX 0730 A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND 2 STUDENTS DEPARTED GOODYEAR (GYR). DURING TAKE-OFF THE INSTRUCTOR NOTICED A SLIGHT SHIMMY IN THE NOSE GEAR THAT STOPPED AS THE GEAR WAS RAISED. THE TOWER NOTIFIED THE INSTRUCTOR THAT HE HAD LOST THE NOSE GEAR STRUT. THE INSTRUCTOR ELECTED TO BURN OFF FUEL AND CONTACT MAINTENANCE. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 2.5 HOURS FLYING, THE PILOT HAD BOTH STUDENTS MOVE TO THE REAR SEATS AND LOWERED THE GEAR. DURING FLY BY OF THE TOWER, IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE NOSE GEAR STRUT WAS GONE. THE INSTRUCTOR PERFORMED A SOFT-FIELD LANDING, HOLDING THE NOSE GEAR OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. HE CUT THE ENGINE AND MOVED THE PROP TO AN INVERTED "Y". UPON TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT SLID ON THE UPPER PORTION OF THE NOSE STRUT FOR APPROX 15 FEET AND CAME TO REST WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE PROP OR AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE, OTHER THAN SCRAPING DAMAGE TO THE UPPER STRUT. THE NOSE SHIMMY DAMPER HAD BROKEN LOOSE FROM THE ATTACH POINT AS WELL AND WAS BENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO EITHER THE INSTRUCTOR OR STUDENTS. THE LOWER STRUT, TORQUE LINK ATTACH BOLT AND NUT WERE RECOVERED, BUT NOT THE COTTER PIN.