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20110731015769I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Dyer Larry A Lancair 320 · St Petersburg, FL · July 31, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 31, 2011 · 11:20 local
Place
St Petersburg, FL
Airport
Albert Whitted
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N91LD
Reported as
Dyer Larry A Lancair 320
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
0
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,956 total120 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days

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.

Pilot checked fluid levels, pre-flighted N91LD and departed at 08:30 LCL on a flt. From spb to bkv. N91LD departed bkv on a flt. To sef and the landing gear retracted normally at approximately 5'-7' above field elevationat an approximate altitude of 2,500 feet after t.o., with the landing gear and flaps retracted, the amber gear unsafe light illuminated. The pilot leveled at 2,500 feet at normal cruise power and noticed that the acft.'s speed was approximately 15 knots slower than normal for this power setting. Pilot flew down the coastline from bkv to spg in preparation to line up with rwy 7 for a full stop landing. ATC was advised of intentions and N91LD was cleared for landing. The landing gear was extended early to assess the situation with a corresponding reduction in airspeed to 140 mph. There was no change with amber gear unsafe light and the green nose gear light did not illuminate, but there was increased drag. Informed ATC and requested a tower fly-by for a visual check, tower stated that the rt. Main gear was half way down. Pilot then requested departure from the traffic pattern to check landing gear and perform Lancair emergency procedure as listed in the emergency procedure section iii, pages 9 and 10. After the procedure was performed, only the right main gear light was on. Pilot then attempted steep banks, slips, climbs and descents to extend the gear. The left main gear light then came on, but the nose gear light never illuminated. The pilot then retracted and extended the landing gear six (6) times, but only the two main gear extended with corresponding green lights. At this point, the amber gear unsafe light extinguished, but the green nose gear light never illuminated. Pilot performed another tower fly-by and as advised that it appeared that all three gears were extended. The pilot elected to land, slowed to 95 KTS., extended extra flaps, touched down on main gear and held the nose off rwy 7 as long as possible. Control was mintained as the airspeed bled off. As soon as the nose gear touched the rwy. The acft.'s nose gear slowly retracted until the propeller contacted the rwy. Pilot maintained directional control with differential braking until the acft. Stopped on the left side of rwy. 7. After the acft. Was towed off rwy 7 and taken to a hangar; both the amber gear unsafe and nose green gear light still did not illuminate.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT CHECKED FLUID LEVELS, PRE-FLIGHTED N91LD AND DEPARTED AT 08:30 LCL ON A FLT. FROM SPB TO BKV. N91LD DEPARTED BKV ON A FLT.TO SEF AND THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED NORMALLY AT APPROXIMATELY 5'-7' ABOVE FIELD ELEVATIONAT AN APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF 2,500 FEET AFTER T.O., WITH THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS RETRACTED, THE AMBER GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT LEVELED AT 2,500 FEET AT NORMAL CRUISE POWER AND NOTICED THAT THE ACFT.'S SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 15 KNOTS SLOWER THAN NORMAL FOR THIS POWER SETTING.PILOT FLEW DOWN THE COASTLINE FROM BKV TO SPG IN PREPARATION TO LINE UP WITH RWY 7 FOR A FULL STOP LANDING. ATC WAS ADVISED OF INTENTIONS AND N91LD WAS CLEARED FOR LANDING. THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED EARLY TO ASSESS THE SITUATION WITH A CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN AIRSPEED TO 140 MPH. THERE WAS NO CHANGE WITH AMBER GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT AND THE GREEN NOSE GEAR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE, BUT THERE WAS INCREASED DRAG.INFORMED ATC AND REQUESTED A TOWER FLY-BY FOR A VISUAL CHECK, TOWER STATED THAT THE RT. MAIN GEAR WAS HALF WAY DOWN. PILOT THEN REQUESTED DEPARTURE FROM THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO CHECK LANDING GEAR AND PERFORM LANCAIR EMERGENCY PROCEDURE AS LISTED IN THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE SECTION III, PAGES 9 AND 10. AFTER THE PROCEDURE WAS PERFORMED, ONLY THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR LIGHT WAS ON.PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED STEEP BANKS, SLIPS, CLIMBS AND DESCENTS TO EXTEND THE GEAR. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR LIGHT THEN CAME ON, BUT THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT NEVER ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT THEN RETRACTED AND EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR SIX (6) TIMES, BUT ONLY THE TWO MAIN GEAR EXTENDED WITH CORRESPONDING GREEN LIGHTS. AT THIS POINT, THE AMBER GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT EXTINGUISHED, BUT THE GREEN NOSE GEAR LIGHT NEVER ILLUMINATED.PILOT PERFORMED ANOTHER TOWER FLY-BY AND AS ADVISED THAT IT APPEARED THAT ALL THREE GEARS WERE EXTENDED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND, SLOWED TO 95 KTS., EXTENDED EXTRA FLAPS, TOUCHED DOWN ON MAIN GEAR AND HELD THE NOSE OFF RWY 7 AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. CONTROL WAS MINTAINED AS THE AIRSPEED BLED OFF. AS SOON AS THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED THE RWY. THE ACFT.'S NOSE GEAR SLOWLY RETRACTED UNTIL THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE RWY.PILOT MAINTAINED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WITH DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING UNTIL THE ACFT. STOPPED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RWY. 7. AFTER THE ACFT. WAS TOWED OFF RWY 7 AND TAKEN TO A HANGAR; BOTH THE AMBER GEAR UNSAFE AND NOSE GREEN GEAR LIGHT STILL DID NOT ILLUMINATE.