# Incident 20101024049529I: Piper PA-44-180, Frederick, MD, October 24, 2010

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 24, 2010, 12:00 local time
- Place: Frederick, MD
- Airport: Frederick Municipal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: LC1S
- Location: 39.4170° N, 77.3747° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FREDERICK MUNI (FDK), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.4170&lon=-77.3747&mi=10
- Aircraft: N79NA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N79NA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-44-180
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 5,100 total, 650 in this make and model, 90 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20101024049529I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

10/26/10INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WENT TO FREDERICK FLIGHT CENTER TO MEET WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE FLIGHT SCHOOL MECHANIC. THE NOSE GEAR ON THE FLIGHT SCHOOL MULTI-ENGINE TRAINER A PIPER PA-44-180 SEMINOLE HAD COLLAPSED ON LANDING ON 10-24-10. ON BOARD WERE THE STUDENT AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. NO ONE WAS INJURED. ACCORDING TO WHAT THE MECHANIC SAID, THE AIRCRAFT WOULD ONLY SHOW TWO GREEN LIGHTS WHEN THE GEAR WAS SELECTED TO THE DOWN POSITION. THE GEAR WAS CYCLED SEVERAL TIMES, WITH THE SAME RESULTS EACH TIME. THEY COULD NOT GET THE THIRD GREEN LIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED AND THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED BACK WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ROLLING OUT ON THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE SECTION, GEAR DOORS AND BOTH PROPS WERE DAMAGED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED BACK AND PUT IN THE FLIGHT SCHOOL HANGAR.THE DOWN TENSION SPRINGS (2) ON THE NOSE GEAR WHERE DAMAGED. THE INNER SPRING BROKE AND A PIECE OF THE SPRING WAS PROTRUDING THROUGH THE OUTER SPRING. BOTH SPRINGS WERE BENT TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE OUTER SPRING WAS STRETCHED OUT OF SHAPE. THIS STRETCHING TOOK THE TENSION OFF THE DOWN SPRING AND WOULD NOT LET THE DRAG LINK COME FULLY DOWN AND BE OVER-CENTER. THIS WAS NOTICED WHILE UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. WE GOT OUT FROM UNDER THE AIRCRAFT AND SECURED THE TAIL TIE-DOWN TO THE CEMENT STAND.THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WILL BE REMOVED AND THE GEAR CYCLED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE BROKEN SPRING.10/28/10REINSPECTED AIRCRAFT WHILE ON JACKS. CYLCE GEAR AND FOUND THAT THE BROKEN INNER SPRING HAD ONE TANG COME OUT THROUGH THE OUTER SPRING. THE LOWER PORTION OF THE OUTER SPRING WAS IN THE ORIGINAL SHAPE AND THE TOP HALF WAS STRETCHED WHICH STOPPED THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK FROM MOVING FULL FORWARD AND LOCKING INTO PLACE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT A NEW SET OF SPRINGS WOULD HAVE THE NEEDED TENSION TO PULL THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCK INTO PLACE.

## Other reports on N79NA (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20100610036659I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100610036659I), Jun 10, 2010: Piper PA-44-180 (N79NA), Frederick, MD, Minor damage. 06/10/10THE mechanic for Frederick flight school called to tell me that their multi engine training aircraft struck deer while on take-off . Instructor stated…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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