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20090831015299I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-44-180 · Merced, CA · August 31, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 31, 2009 · 09:50 local
Place
Merced, CA
Airport
Castle
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
SRJS
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N694CB
Reported as
Piper PA44180
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
245 total2 in this make and model79 in the last 90 days
N694CBRegistration cancelled May 6, 2019 · Piper PA-44-180S/N 44-7995305 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-44-180Engine 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) After accomplishing three toucn-n-go's uneventfully, the aircraft was accomplishing its fourth touch-n-go when the pilot slowly lowered the nose down and realized that the engine propellers were contacting the ground. The aircraft sled about 400 feet and the crew egressed the aircraft on the runway. Maintenance personnel towed the aircraft off the runway and realized the right main landing gear was not down and locked. After positively locking and checking all the gears the aircraft continued to tow to the maintenance facility. Maintenance personnel jacked the aircraft and found everything working as required by the maintenance manual. This investigation shows that for some unknown reason the gear system was prepared to operate in the up position. This was evident by the "j-hooks" of the main gear were not in the over-center lock position during tow. This gear operates by hydraulic power with electrical switches to operate lights and signals to shut-off electrical motors for hydraulic pressure. The nose gear actuator had pressure on the up-side of the actuator giving resistance to extend the nose gear for tow. However, the crew insisted that they didn't select gear up and then down again.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AFTER ACCOMPLISHING THREE TOUCN-N-GO'S UNEVENTFULLY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS ACCOMPLISHING ITS FOURTH TOUCH-N-GO WHEN THE PILOT SLOWLY LOWERED THE NOSE DOWN AND REALIZED THAT THE ENGINE PROPELLERS WERE CONTACTING THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT SLED ABOUT 400 FEET AND THE CREW EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TOWED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RUNWAY AND REALIZED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. AFTER POSITIVELY LOCKING AND CHECKING ALL THE GEARS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TOW TO THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL JACKED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND EVERYTHING WORKING AS REQUIRED BY THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL. THIS INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THE GEAR SYSTEM WAS PREPARED TO OPERATE IN THE UP POSITION. THIS WAS EVIDENT BY THE "J-HOOKS" OF THE MAIN GEAR WERE NOT IN THE OVER-CENTER LOCK POSITION DURING TOW. THIS GEAR OPERATES BY HYDRAULIC POWER WITH ELECTRICAL SWITCHES TO OPERATE LIGHTS AND SIGNALS TO SHUT-OFF ELECTRICAL MOTORS FOR HYDRAULIC PRESSURE. THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR HAD PRESSURE ON THE UP-SIDE OF THE ACTUATOR GIVING RESISTANCE TO EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR FOR TOW. HOWEVER, THE CREW INSISTED THAT THEY DIDN'T SELECT GEAR UP AND THEN DOWN AGAIN.