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20130831017539I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-23 · Truckee, CA · August 31, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 31, 2013 · 09:27 local
Place
Truckee, CA
Airport
Truckee-Tahoe
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3147P
Reported as
Piper PA-23
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,093 total922 in this make and model11 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.

At 10,500 feet, the pilot noted that the left engine exceeded redline RPM due to a propeller malfunction. The left engine was secured and the pilot returned to trk. The landing gear was selected to the down position; however, upon landing the nose gear collapsed. A subsequent investigation revealed the landing gear hydraulic pump is mounted on the left engine and if that engine is inoperative, a manual extension pump is available for the gear and flaps. The pilot failed to properly extend the landing gear using the manual extension system which allowed the nose gear to remain in an unlocked condition. Air loads extended and locked the main landing gear. In conversation with the pilot, he said that he has performed emergency extension procedures; however, only with the left engine in a simulated feather condition and running. When the left engine is not running, the hydraulic pressures felt at the emergency gear manual pump is significently less than when the engine is running. The pilot said he pumped the manual system several times but believed the system was not extending the gear. The PA-23 owners manual states that it takes approximately 50 pumps to extend the landing gear and resistance is not felt until the last few pumps.

As the FAA filed it

AT 10,500 FEET, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE EXCEEDED REDLINE RPM DUE TO A PROPELLER MALFUNCTION. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SECURED AND THE PILOT RETURNED TO TRK. THE LANDING GEAR WAS SELECTED TO THE DOWN POSITION; HOWEVER, UPON LANDING THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. A SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE LANDING GEAR HYDRAULIC PUMP IS MOUNTED ON THE LEFT ENGINE AND IF THAT ENGINE IS INOPERATIVE, A MANUAL EXTENSION PUMP IS AVAILABLE FOR THE GEAR AND FLAPS. THE PILOT FAILED TO PROPERLY EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR USING THE MANUAL EXTENSION SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWED THE NOSE GEAR TO REMAIN IN AN UNLOCKED CONDITION. AIR LOADS EXTENDED AND LOCKED THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. IN CONVERSATION WITH THE PILOT, HE SAID THAT HE HAS PERFORMED EMERGENCY EXTENSION PROCEDURES; HOWEVER, ONLY WITH THE LEFT ENGINE IN A SIMULATED FEATHER CONDITION AND RUNNING. WHEN THE LEFT ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING, THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURES FELT AT THE EMERGENCY GEAR MANUAL PUMP IS SIGNIFICENTLY LESS THAN WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. THE PILOT SAID HE PUMPED THE MANUAL SYSTEM SEVERAL TIMES BUT BELIEVED THE SYSTEM WAS NOT EXTENDING THE GEAR. THE PA-23 OWNERS MANUAL STATES THAT IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY 50 PUMPS TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR AND RESISTANCE IS NOT FELT UNTIL THE LAST FEW PUMPS.