What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 29,2011, at approximately 1715 hours aircraft Piper navajo PA-31-350, N710DG, s/n 31-7305017, landed on runway 32 at Naples Municipal Airport (kapf). The aircraft was on a 14 CFR part 91 flight from kapf to tampa executive airport (kvdf). The pilot stated that on initial climb out on an IFR flight from kapf to kvdf he noted that the gear "not locked" red indicator light remained illuminated after the gear selector was raised. A visual inspection through the mirror revealed that the nose wheel appeared down but not fully extended. The gear selector was cycled several times over the course of the next 10-15 minutes, but the "not locked" indicator remained on and the nose gear remained partially extended. A low altitude inspection pass was requested and approved by the kapf control tower. During the descent several attempts at pumping the gear down with the hand operated pump were made. As he continues pumping the pressure began to build up at the pump initially, but shortly thereafter, all further pumping created no pressure. During the low pass approach to runway 5 the tower controller reported that the main gear appears to be down and the nose landing gear wheel was at 45 degree angle. He continues to pump the landing gear down with not success. An emergency was declared at kapf. He made a full flap slow approach to runway 32. Once the runway was "made", mixture were brought to cutoff, fuel was shut off, fuel selectors were turned off and master switch was turned off. The initial touch down was made on the main gear and as the nose made contact with the runway, the nose gear collapsed. Immediately afterwards, the left main collapsed, sending the aircraft into a skidding left turn. The aircraft came to rest on the grass next to runway 32 pointing to approximately 200 degrees. All passengers evacuated safely and uninjured. The aircraft main landing gear doors, the left wing tip, the left wing flap, and the left and right propellers were damaged during this incident. The troubleshooting of the aircraft pinpointed a discrepancy with a hydraulic hose. This hose (stratoflex, p/n 111417-4S-160) is connected to the input side of the left landing gear actuator. The hose male fitting (nipple) became disconnected from the socket allowing the hydraulic fluid to leak out preventing the landing gear hydraulic system from developing the pressure required to bring the landing gear to the down and lock position. A "malfunction or defect report" was filed, report number 2011FA0000304.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 29,2011, AT APPROXIMATELY 1715 HOURS AIRCRAFT PIPER NAVAJO PA-31-350, N710DG, S/N 31-7305017, LANDED ON RUNWAY 32 AT NAPLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KAPF). THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT FROM KAPF TO TAMPA EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KVDF). THE PILOT STATED THAT ON INITIAL CLIMB OUT ON AN IFR FLIGHT FROM KAPF TO KVDF HE NOTED THAT THE GEAR "NOT LOCKED" RED INDICATOR LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AFTER THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS RAISED. A VISUAL INSPECTION THROUGH THE MIRROR REVEALED THAT THE NOSE WHEEL APPEARED DOWN BUT NOT FULLY EXTENDED. THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS CYCLED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 10-15 MINUTES, BUT THE "NOT LOCKED" INDICATOR REMAINED ON AND THE NOSE GEAR REMAINED PARTIALLY EXTENDED. A LOW ALTITUDE INSPECTION PASS WAS REQUESTED AND APPROVED BY THE KAPF CONTROL TOWER. DURING THE DESCENT SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT PUMPING THE GEAR DOWN WITH THE HAND OPERATED PUMP WERE MADE. AS HE CONTINUES PUMPING THE PRESSURE BEGAN TO BUILD UP AT THE PUMP INITIALLY, BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, ALL FURTHER PUMPING CREATED NO PRESSURE. DURING THE LOW PASS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 5 THE TOWER CONTROLLER REPORTED THAT THE MAIN GEAR APPEARS TO BE DOWN AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WHEEL WAS AT 45 DEGREE ANGLE. HE CONTINUES TO PUMP THE LANDING GEAR DOWN WITH NOT SUCCESS. AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED AT KAPF. HE MADE A FULL FLAP SLOW APPROACH TO RUNWAY 32. ONCE THE RUNWAY WAS "MADE", MIXTURE WERE BROUGHT TO CUTOFF, FUEL WAS SHUT OFF, FUEL SELECTORS WERE TURNED OFF AND MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. THE INITIAL TOUCH DOWN WAS MADE ON THE MAIN GEAR AND AS THE NOSE MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS, THE LEFT MAIN COLLAPSED, SENDING THE AIRCRAFT INTO A SKIDDING LEFT TURN. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE GRASS NEXT TO RUNWAY 32 POINTING TO APPROXIMATELY 200 DEGREES. ALL PASSENGERS EVACUATED SAFELY AND UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT MAIN LANDING GEAR DOORS, THE LEFT WING TIP, THE LEFT WING FLAP, AND THE LEFT AND RIGHT PROPELLERS WERE DAMAGED DURING THIS INCIDENT. THE TROUBLESHOOTING OF THE AIRCRAFT PINPOINTED A DISCREPANCY WITH A HYDRAULIC HOSE. THIS HOSE (STRATOFLEX, P/N 111417-4S-160) IS CONNECTED TO THE INPUT SIDE OF THE LEFT LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR. THE HOSE MALE FITTING (NIPPLE) BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE SOCKET ALLOWING THE HYDRAULIC FLUID TO LEAK OUT PREVENTING THE LANDING GEAR HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FROM DEVELOPING THE PRESSURE REQUIRED TO BRING THE LANDING GEAR TO THE DOWN AND LOCK POSITION. A "MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT" WAS FILED, REPORT NUMBER 2011FA0000304.
Other reports on N710DG · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.