What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the morning of November 14, 2012, aircraft N9743R departed Indianapolis Regional Airport (kmqj) enroute to columbus municipal airport (kbak). The flight to kbak was without incident. The pilot said there were no issues starting the engine in kbak. On the return flight to kmqj shortly after takeoff, the pilot noticed his transponder and radio were not working. He also noticed the amm meter was not indicating a postive state of charge. Since he was unable to contact air traffic control, he elected to continue to kmqj. This was the first trip the aircraft had flown since the maintenance facility at kmqj replaced the voltage regulator. Once he determined there was no electrical power, he attempted to lower the gear without success. He reviewed the instructions in the aircraft operating manual for manually extending the gear. As he approached kmqj, he pulled the landing gear circuit breaker and manually extended the gear using the emergency extension procedures. He turned the crank 50 times counterclockwise just as the manual instructed. Since the pilot was unable to lower the flaps, he performed a no flaps landing at 12:05 pm local time on runway 7 at kmqj touching down approximately 1500 feet down the runway. The main gear touched down without incident. After the nose gear touched down, it collapsed and folded back into the wheel well. The propeller struck the runway and the aircraft came to a stop. The aircraft came to rest on the nose gear doors and propeller. He turned the magnetos off and exited the aircraft. The aircraft logbook shows that the aircraft accumulated 1.7 hours since replacing the voltage regulator. The weather was sunny with no wind at the airfield, 10 miles visability and the runway was dry, weather was not a factor. The pilot was uninjured. The pilot's decision to continue on to his destination where the voltage regulator was previously replaced, versus landing at the nearest suitable airport was a poor decision. Following the electrical failure and because of a failed attempt to manually extend and lock the gear, the nose gear collapsed on landing. Inspection of the gear revealed that the gear did not fail because of a mechanical failure. It folded rearward on impact because it was not fully extended and locked. The pilot was counseled on his decision to continue to the destination airport.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 14, 2012, AIRCRAFT N9743R DEPARTED INDIANAPOLIS REGIONAL AIRPORT (KMQJ) ENROUTE TO COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KBAK). THE FLIGHT TO KBAK WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PILOT SAID THERE WERE NO ISSUES STARTING THE ENGINE IN KBAK. ON THE RETURN FLIGHT TO KMQJ SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT NOTICED HIS TRANSPONDER AND RADIO WERE NOT WORKING. HE ALSO NOTICED THE AMM METER WAS NOT INDICATING A POSTIVE STATE OF CHARGE. SINCE HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO KMQJ. THIS WAS THE FIRST TRIP THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN SINCE THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY AT KMQJ REPLACED THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR. ONCE HE DETERMINED THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER, HE ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE GEAR WITHOUT SUCCESS. HE REVIEWED THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE AIRCRAFT OPERATING MANUAL FOR MANUALLY EXTENDING THE GEAR. AS HE APPROACHED KMQJ, HE PULLED THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER AND MANUALLY EXTENDED THE GEAR USING THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION PROCEDURES. HE TURNED THE CRANK 50 TIMES COUNTERCLOCKWISE JUST AS THE MANUAL INSTRUCTED. SINCE THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE FLAPS, HE PERFORMED A NO FLAPS LANDING AT 12:05 PM LOCAL TIME ON RUNWAY 7 AT KMQJ TOUCHING DOWN APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN, IT COLLAPSED AND FOLDED BACK INTO THE WHEEL WELL. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE NOSE GEAR DOORS AND PROPELLER. HE TURNED THE MAGNETOS OFF AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK SHOWS THAT THE AIRCRAFT ACCUMULATED 1.7 HOURS SINCE REPLACING THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR. THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY WITH NO WIND AT THE AIRFIELD, 10 MILES VISABILITY AND THE RUNWAY WAS DRY, WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED.THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE ON TO HIS DESTINATION WHERE THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED, VERSUS LANDING AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT WAS A POOR DECISION. FOLLOWING THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND BECAUSE OF A FAILED ATTEMPT TO MANUALLY EXTEND AND LOCK THE GEAR, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON LANDING. INSPECTION OF THE GEAR REVEALED THAT THE GEAR DID NOT FAIL BECAUSE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE. IT FOLDED REARWARD ON IMPACT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT FULLY EXTENDED AND LOCKED. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED ON HIS DECISION TO CONTINUE TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT.
Other reports on N9743R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.