What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was being flown for a maintenance check flight following avionics work that was performed by field tech avionics. The pilotprivacy data omitted was accompanied on the check flight by an avionics tech with field tech. Normal pre-flight inspection performed. (Confirmed an airworthiness release and log entry for maintenance performed by field tech).
Normal takeoff and gear retraction. Mx flight took approximately 20 minutes an was completed satisfactorily. When the pilot selected gear down on approach into meachum the aircraft did not display any green down/locked indications nor any red unsafe gear indications. The pilot cycled the gear selector with no change. The pilot requested a tower fly by and was told no gear was observed in the down position. The pilot exited the landing pattern, flew to a safe area and performed the alternate gear extension procedure. The aircraft then showed both main landing gear down and locked but the nose landing gear would not indicate safe. The pilot performed a few porpoise maneuvers to try and extend gear. A second tower fly by was performed and they indicated to the pilot all three gear looked fully extended. The pilot re-entered the pattern, declared an emergency as a precaution. He stated the green NLG down/locked light came on for about 15 seconds but went back out prior to touchdown. Landing was normal but the nose gear folded on rollout. The pilot had shut off the engine at approx 40' altitude and the aircraft sustained damage to the 3 blade propeller, nose gear assembly, and slight bottom fuselage damage. When the aircraft was being set up to lift the lmg folded slowly with the aircraft resting on the left wing.
The aircraft was relocated to brodie's maintenance for repair. Requested a findings report.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN FOR A MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT FOLLOWING AVIONICS WORK THAT WAS PERFORMED BY FIELD TECH AVIONICS. THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ACCOMPANIED ON THE CHECK FLIGHT BY AN AVIONICS TECH WITH FIELD TECH. NORMAL PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION PERFORMED. (CONFIRMED AN AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE AND LOG ENTRY FOR MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY FIELD TECH).
NORMAL TAKEOFF AND GEAR RETRACTION. MX FLIGHT TOOK APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AN WAS COMPLETED SATISFACTORILY. WHEN THE PILOT SELECTED GEAR DOWN ON APPROACH INTO MEACHUM THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT DISPLAY ANY GREEN DOWN/LOCKED INDICATIONS NOR ANY RED UNSAFE GEAR INDICATIONS. THE PILOT CYCLED THE GEAR SELECTOR WITH NO CHANGE. THE PILOT REQUESTED A TOWER FLY BY AND WAS TOLD NO GEAR WAS OBSERVED IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE PILOT EXITED THE LANDING PATTERN, FLEW TO A SAFE AREA AND PERFORMED THE ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SHOWED BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED BUT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT INDICATE SAFE. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FEW PORPOISE MANEUVERS TO TRY AND EXTEND GEAR. A SECOND TOWER FLY BY WAS PERFORMED AND THEY INDICATED TO THE PILOT ALL THREE GEAR LOOKED FULLY EXTENDED. THE PILOT RE-ENTERED THE PATTERN, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AS A PRECAUTION. HE STATED THE GREEN NLG DOWN/LOCKED LIGHT CAME ON FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS BUT WENT BACK OUT PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. LANDING WAS NORMAL BUT THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED ON ROLLOUT. THE PILOT HAD SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AT APPROX 40' ALTITUDE AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE 3 BLADE PROPELLER, NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY, AND SLIGHT BOTTOM FUSELAGE DAMAGE. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING SET UP TO LIFT THE LMG FOLDED SLOWLY WITH THE AIRCRAFT RESTING ON THE LEFT WING.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELOCATED TO BRODIE'S MAINTENANCE FOR REPAIR. REQUESTED A FINDINGS REPORT.
Other reports on N4893V · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.