# Incident 20130202002849I: Piper PA-23-160, Tomball, TX, February 2, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 2, 2013, 14:06 local time
- Place: Tomball, TX
- Airport: David Wayne Hooks Memorial Air
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: IUFS
- Location: 30.0618° N, 95.5528° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at DAVID WAYNE HOOKS MEML (DWH), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.0618&lon=-95.5528&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4233P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4233P-2014-12-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23-160 (registry code 7102304, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-160) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23-160
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,190 total, 12 in this make and model, 185 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130202002849I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DURING ROUTINE PILOT TRAINING AND THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE LANDING, THE NOSE GEAR GREEN LIGHT, INDICATING THE NOSE GEAR IS IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION, FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE WAS PLACED IN THE DOWN (GEAR EXTEND) POSITION. THE PILOT IN COMMAND RETRACTED AND EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE THREE (3) MORE TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULTS, NO ILLUMINATION OF THE NOSE GEAR INDICATION LIGHT. THE PILOT PERFORMED A LOW FLIGHT PASS IN FRONT OF THE DWH CONTROL TOWER AND WAS TOLD BY THE TOWER OPERATOR THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. THE PILOT ELECTED TO PERFORM A SOFT FIELD LANDING ON RUNWAY 35L AT DWH IN ANTICIPATION OF NOSE GEAR FAILURE. UPON NOSE GEAR TOUCHDOWN ON THE RUNWAY, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP ON THE NOSE SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS WITHIN THE REQUIRED 100 HOUR/ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANUFACTURERD IN 1959 AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE FAILED COMPONENT HAD EVER BEEN REPLACED. THE ROD END, ATTACHED TO THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR, WAS FOUND FRACTURED. THE ROD END APPARENTLY WAS IN TACT ENOUGH TO PUSH THE GEAR DOWN BUT NOT LOCK INTO POSITION. WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY/LANDING GEAR UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE ROD END FAILED AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY IS COMPLETING A MALFUNCTION DEFECT REPORT FOR THE FAILED COMPONENT.

## Other reports on N4233P (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20111209027799I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20111209027799I), Dec 9, 2011: Piper PA-23-160 (N4233P), Tomball, TX, Minor damage. During roll-out, after landing on runway 17R at David Wayne Hooks Airport (dwh) the aircraft started to lean to the left. Pilots used right rudder and brakes…
- [Incident 20021031033459I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021031033459I), Oct 31, 2002: Piper PA23160 (N4233P), Houston, TX, Minor damage. (-23) After completing a landing, a take-off was executed. At rotation speed, a deer struck the aircraft on the right main landing and gear doors. The take-off…

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.

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