# Accident 20120801015369A: Piper PA-44-180, Titusville, FL, August 1, 2012 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 1, 2012, 17:10 local time - Place: Titusville, FL - Airport: Space Coast Regional - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: 4SCS - Location: 28.5147° N, 80.7992° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.5147&lon=-80.7992&mi=10 - Aircraft: N740FT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N740FT-2023-06-14) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-44-180 (registry code 7104402, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O-360 series (registry code 41575, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-44-180 - Reported engine: LYCOMING O-360 SERIES - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA12LA494](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA494) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120801015369A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. DURING AN INTERVIEW THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PILOT IN COMMAND STATED THAT WHILE EXECUTING A PRACTICE ILS RW 36 THE LANDING GEAR WAS SELECTED DOWN AND THE NOSE GEAR INDICATED AN UNSAFE CONDITION. THE UNSAFE CONDITION PERSISTED AFTER CYCLING THE GEAR. THE INSTRUCTOR FLEW BY THE CONTROL TOWER AND THE CONTROL TOWER ADVISED THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN IN THE NACELLE MIRROR. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT DUE TO RECENT PREVIOUS GEAR INDICATION PROBLEMS HE BELIEVED THE INDICATION TO BE ERRONEOUS. AFTER LANDING ON RUNWAY 36 THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE RUNWAY WITH THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED IN THE RETRACTED POSITION.THE AIRPLANE WAS RELOCATED FROM RUNWAY 36 TO THE FBO RAMP TIE DOWN. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE FUSELAGE STRUCTURE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DUE TO GROUND EROSION INTO A FORWARD BULKHEAD AND LONGITUDINAL STRINGERS WHICH REQUIRES A MAJOR REPAIR. MINOR DAMAGE INCLUDED, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, BENT PROPELLERS, DAMAGED GEAR DOORS, AND SKIN.A GEAR SWING REVEALED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT REACH THE DOWN LOCKED POSITION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION AS TO WHY THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT REACH THE DOWN LOCKED POSITION REVEALED THAT THE HYDRAULIC FLUID RESERVOIR DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FLUID TO INDICATE ON THE DIP STICK. ONCE THE HYDRAULIC FLUID RESERVOIR WAS PROPERLY SERVICE THE NOSE GEAR REACHED THE DOWN LOCKED POSITION BUT, WITH GREAT RESISTANCE. CONSEQUENTLY, AN ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE TO THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK ECCENTRIC BUSHING. UPON SWINGING THE GEAR AGAIN THE NOSE GEAR REACHED THE DOWN LOCKED POSITION NORMALLY.A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE WAS RECENTLY PAINTED AND THERE WAS NO LOGBOOK ENTRY INDICATING THE AIRPLANE WAS PAINTED OR THAT THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE BALANCED AFTER PAINTING. ADDITIONALLY, THE LATEST WEIGHT AND BALANCE RECORD INDICATED THAT THE JANITROL HEATER WAS REMOVED BUT WAS STILL INSTALLED IN THE AIRPLANE. FURTHERMORE, THE HOUR METER ON THE RIGHT TACHOMETER WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE LEFT TACHOMETER IS NOT PLACARDED APPROPRIATELY FOR A PIPER SEMINOLE.A REVIEW OF THE INSTRUCTOR'S PILOT CERTIFICATE, MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, AND PILOT LOGBOOK INDICATED THAT HE WAS CURRENT AND QUALIFIED TO ACT AS PILOT IN COMMAND AND PROVIDE INSTRUCTION ON THE FLIGHT. A REVIEW OF THE STUDENT'S PILOT CERTIFICATE AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATE INDICATED THAT MULTIENGINE INSTRUMENT TRAINING MAY BE APPROPRIATE. THE WEATHER WAS VFR WITH GOOD VISIBILITY, A FEW HIGH STRATUS CLOUDS, AND NO PRECIPITATION. THE RUNWAY WAS DRY. WEATHER WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A FACTOR. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA12LA494](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA494), Aug 1, 2012: Piper PA-44-180 (N740FT), Titusville, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: Inadequate maintenance servicing and inspection of the nose landing gear, which resulted in the failure of the nose landing gear to lock and its subsequent collapse during landing. ## Other reports on N740FT (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20210912015629A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210912015629A), Sep 12, 2021: Piper PA-44-180 (N740FT), Magnolia, TX, Substantial damage. N740FT flight with 01 pilot onboard originating from david wayne hooks memorial airport (kdwh), spring, TX, with full stop shutdown and subsequent takeoff from… - [Incident 20120417005459I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120417005459I), Apr 17, 2012: Piper PA-44-180 (N740FT), Merrit Island, FL, Minor damage. On 04-17-2012 N740FT had the nose gear collapse on landing. The pilot, crew and one passenger sustained no injuries. The aircraft sustained minor damage. - [Incident 20100728042689I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100728042689I), Jul 28, 2010: Piper PA-44-180 (N740FT), Merritt Island, FL, Minor damage. On July 28, 2010, at 2000 EDT, a Piper PA-44-180, N740FT, registered to 30 west LLC, experienced an in-flight landing gear malfunction while on a training… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.