What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A privately leased aircraft attempted to land on runway 4, at vrb. The pilot stated a flickering gear indication. A witness, for the accident employed by paris air, stated it appeared the aircraft came in fast and hard consistent with the damage occurred. After landing the aircraft then slid to rest approximately 300 feet down the runway to a complete stop. The landing caused substantial damage to the nose gear assembly such as, a broken nose gear fork that severed, both wheel halves broke and shattered, both the nose strut and nose gear steering linkages were broken, and finally the up-lock microswitch (supporting the pilots statement) became detached at initial touchdown and the nose tire, what appears to be evidence of a side load causing it to blow. Damage is consistent with a hard landing and the strength of the impact. The fire wall and lower fuselage belly behind the nose gear showed signs of wrinkling. Further inspection identified several lower fuselage ribs cracked and or buckled. The lower firewall sustained severe buckling, this again examined after engine removal. No mechanical issues were identified to support the initial statement provided by the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
A PRIVATELY LEASED AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 4, AT VRB. THE PILOT STATED A FLICKERING GEAR INDICATION. A WITNESS, FOR THE ACCIDENT EMPLOYED BY PARIS AIR, STATED IT APPEARED THE AIRCRAFT CAME IN FAST AND HARD CONSISTENT WITH THE DAMAGE OCCURRED. AFTER LANDING THE AIRCRAFT THEN SLID TO REST APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE LANDING CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY SUCH AS, A BROKEN NOSE GEAR FORK THAT SEVERED, BOTH WHEEL HALVES BROKE AND SHATTERED, BOTH THE NOSE STRUT AND NOSE GEAR STEERING LINKAGES WERE BROKEN, AND FINALLY THE UP-LOCK MICROSWITCH (SUPPORTING THE PILOTS STATEMENT) BECAME DETACHED AT INITIAL TOUCHDOWN AND THE NOSE TIRE, WHAT APPEARS TO BE EVIDENCE OF A SIDE LOAD CAUSING IT TO BLOW. DAMAGE IS CONSISTENT WITH A HARD LANDING AND THE STRENGTH OF THE IMPACT. THE FIRE WALL AND LOWER FUSELAGE BELLY BEHIND THE NOSE GEAR SHOWED SIGNS OF WRINKLING. FURTHER INSPECTION IDENTIFIED SEVERAL LOWER FUSELAGE RIBS CRACKED AND OR BUCKLED. THE LOWER FIREWALL SUSTAINED SEVERE BUCKLING, THIS AGAIN EXAMINED AFTER ENGINE REMOVAL. NO MECHANICAL ISSUES WERE IDENTIFIED TO SUPPORT THE INITIAL STATEMENT PROVIDED BY THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N756EB · 5
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.