# Incident 20130831017539I: Piper PA-23, Truckee, CA, August 31, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 31, 2013, 09:27 local time
- Place: Truckee, CA
- Airport: Truckee-Tahoe
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.3201° N, 120.1396° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at TRUCKEE-TAHOE (TRK), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.3201&lon=-120.1396&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3147P (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-360 SERIES
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,093 total, 922 in this make and model, 11 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130831017539I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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