What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 1230 on 01/06/2011 the houston FSDO was notified that an aircraft accident/incident had occurred at T41. The aircraft was reported to be on the runway and that there where no injuries. The aircraft was located on runway 30 approximately 150 feet short of the aiming point markers and displaced approximately 20 feet right of center line. Upon examination of the aircraft it appeared the nose gear and right main gear had collapsed. The nose gear appeared to have collapsed at or immediately after touchdown as indicated by scraping on the aircraft, the skid marks on the runway and pavement marks. All three blades of the prop were damaged this was supported by the impact marks on the runway just after the nose wheel skid marks began. It appears that the propeller was generating thrust and impacted the pavement 8 to 12 times. This is supported by scrapes in multiple different directions and significant damage on each tip of the propeller. Further examination of the propeller blades revealed full (360 degree) blade travel or full blade twisting. This indicates that both propeller hub stops may have been significantly damaged. The aircraft continued traveling with the collapsed nose gear approximately 700 feet and came to a stop. It appears that the right main gear then collapsed. This is supported by the lack of scraping and damage to the right wing and no indication of the wing dragging on the runway. Inspection of the cockpit revealed several items that were not consistent with a gear system failure and emergency gear extension checklist usage. The gear handle was in the up and stowed position and the emergency gear lever was located beyond the full up position. This is contradictory to the pilots' statements and the emergency gear extension checklist. The plastic stop surrounding the emergency gear lever was broken at the top detent. The lever was located inside the broken area of the plastic stop. The throttle, propeller and mixture controls were each in the full forward position. This positioning is consistent with the damage observed on the aircraft but is contradictory to both pilots' statements. All required documents were onboard the aircraft including the pilots documents. Copies of all onboard checklists for emergency gear extension and gear emergencies were obtained from the aircraft checklist and the pilots operating handbook. The houston FSDO requested ATC data for the date and time of flight for N24CS. Review of the audio and radar information revealed that the pilot reported all gear were down prior to changing frequency from ATC to T41 traffic frequency. This was contradictory to both pilots' statements. In written and verbal statements given to the houston FSDO the pilots stated that the nose gear never fully extended. They stated the plan was to land with the nose gear up and the engine off.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 1230 ON 01/06/2011 THE HOUSTON FSDO WAS NOTIFIED THAT AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT/INCIDENT HAD OCCURRED AT T41. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED TO BE ON THE RUNWAY AND THAT THERE WHERE NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ON RUNWAY 30 APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET SHORT OF THE AIMING POINT MARKERS AND DISPLACED APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET RIGHT OF CENTER LINE. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT IT APPEARED THE NOSE GEAR AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO HAVE COLLAPSED AT OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHDOWN AS INDICATED BY SCRAPING ON THE AIRCRAFT, THE SKID MARKS ON THE RUNWAY AND PAVEMENT MARKS. ALL THREE BLADES OF THE PROP WERE DAMAGED THIS WAS SUPPORTED BY THE IMPACT MARKS ON THE RUNWAY JUST AFTER THE NOSE WHEEL SKID MARKS BEGAN. IT APPEARS THAT THE PROPELLER WAS GENERATING THRUST AND IMPACTED THE PAVEMENT 8 TO 12 TIMES. THIS IS SUPPORTED BY SCRAPES IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE ON EACH TIP OF THE PROPELLER. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER BLADES REVEALED FULL (360 DEGREE) BLADE TRAVEL OR FULL BLADE TWISTING. THIS INDICATES THAT BOTH PROPELLER HUB STOPS MAY HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED.THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TRAVELING WITH THE COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET AND CAME TO A STOP. IT APPEARS THAT THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR THEN COLLAPSED. THIS IS SUPPORTED BY THE LACK OF SCRAPING AND DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING AND NO INDICATION OF THE WING DRAGGING ON THE RUNWAY. INSPECTION OF THE COCKPIT REVEALED SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WERE NOT CONSISTENT WITH A GEAR SYSTEM FAILURE AND EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION CHECKLIST USAGE. THE GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE UP AND STOWED POSITION AND THE EMERGENCY GEAR LEVER WAS LOCATED BEYOND THE FULL UP POSITION. THIS IS CONTRADICTORY TO THE PILOTS' STATEMENTS AND THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION CHECKLIST. THE PLASTIC STOP SURROUNDING THE EMERGENCY GEAR LEVER WAS BROKEN AT THE TOP DETENT. THE LEVER WAS LOCATED INSIDE THE BROKEN AREA OF THE PLASTIC STOP. THE THROTTLE, PROPELLER AND MIXTURE CONTROLS WERE EACH IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION. THIS POSITIONING IS CONSISTENT WITH THE DAMAGE OBSERVED ON THE AIRCRAFT BUT IS CONTRADICTORY TO BOTH PILOTS' STATEMENTS. ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS WERE ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDING THE PILOTS DOCUMENTS. COPIES OF ALL ONBOARD CHECKLISTS FOR EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION AND GEAR EMERGENCIES WERE OBTAINED FROM THE AIRCRAFT CHECKLIST AND THE PILOTS OPERATING HANDBOOK. THE HOUSTON FSDO REQUESTED ATC DATA FOR THE DATE AND TIME OF FLIGHT FOR N24CS. REVIEW OF THE AUDIO AND RADAR INFORMATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT REPORTED ALL GEAR WERE DOWN PRIOR TO CHANGING FREQUENCY FROM ATC TO T41 TRAFFIC FREQUENCY. THIS WAS CONTRADICTORY TO BOTH PILOTS' STATEMENTS. IN WRITTEN AND VERBAL STATEMENTS GIVEN TO THE HOUSTON FSDO THE PILOTS STATED THAT THE NOSE GEAR NEVER FULLY EXTENDED. THEY STATED THE PLAN WAS TO LAND WITH THE NOSE GEAR UP AND THE ENGINE OFF.
Other reports on N24CS · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.