What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Times, headings, measurements & altitudes are approximate. An aircraft privacy data omitted operated by the pilot involved, took off from the bozeman airport (kbzn), belgrade, Montana, at 1110 MDT on a direct flight to Billings airport (kbil). Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time. No flight plan had been filed. When the pilot slowed down 120 mph on the base leg into kbil, he lowered the gear. He did not see nose gear down light come on. He called the tower and told them he had an indication problem and asked permission to perform a flyby. The tower observed the aircraft during the flyby and reported the nose gear appeared down. The pilot came back around and landed on runway 28R. He still did not have a nose gear indication when he last checked on final approach. He touched down at 65 mph, and the nose gear collapsed as it touched down. He did not shut down the engine prior to landing.
2 Of 3 prop blades were bent backward, with the tips curled back, with little damage to the third blade, an indication the engine experienced a sudden stoppage. The lower cowling and nose bowl were worn through down to the longitudinal formers in the nose structure below and forward of the engine mount.
Upon the post-accident inspection and investigation, the nose gear bungee spring assembly was found bent in the middle of the body of the assembly, through the shaft and sleeve section, and was no longer able slide due to the bending damage. The bungee rod end was also bent. The bellcrank that attaches this bungee to the gear drag leg torque shaft was also badly bent. There was no other damage to the aircraft. All controls operated normally.
As the FAA filed it
TIMES, HEADINGS, MEASUREMENTS & ALTITUDES ARE APPROXIMATE. AN AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATED BY THE PILOT INVOLVED, TOOK OFF FROM THE BOZEMAN AIRPORT (KBZN), BELGRADE, MONTANA, AT 1110 MDT ON A DIRECT FLIGHT TO BILLINGS AIRPORT (KBIL). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. WHEN THE PILOT SLOWED DOWN 120 MPH ON THE BASE LEG INTO KBIL, HE LOWERED THE GEAR. HE DID NOT SEE NOSE GEAR DOWN LIGHT COME ON. HE CALLED THE TOWER AND TOLD THEM HE HAD AN INDICATION PROBLEM AND ASKED PERMISSION TO PERFORM A FLYBY. THE TOWER OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE FLYBY AND REPORTED THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED DOWN. THE PILOT CAME BACK AROUND AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 28R. HE STILL DID NOT HAVE A NOSE GEAR INDICATION WHEN HE LAST CHECKED ON FINAL APPROACH. HE TOUCHED DOWN AT 65 MPH, AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AS IT TOUCHED DOWN. HE DID NOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE PRIOR TO LANDING.
2 OF 3 PROP BLADES WERE BENT BACKWARD, WITH THE TIPS CURLED BACK, WITH LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE THIRD BLADE, AN INDICATION THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN STOPPAGE. THE LOWER COWLING AND NOSE BOWL WERE WORN THROUGH DOWN TO THE LONGITUDINAL FORMERS IN THE NOSE STRUCTURE BELOW AND FORWARD OF THE ENGINE MOUNT.
UPON THE POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION AND INVESTIGATION, THE NOSE GEAR BUNGEE SPRING ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND BENT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BODY OF THE ASSEMBLY, THROUGH THE SHAFT AND SLEEVE SECTION, AND WAS NO LONGER ABLE SLIDE DUE TO THE BENDING DAMAGE. THE BUNGEE ROD END WAS ALSO BENT. THE BELLCRANK THAT ATTACHES THIS BUNGEE TO THE GEAR DRAG LEG TORQUE SHAFT WAS ALSO BADLY BENT. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. ALL CONTROLS OPERATED NORMALLY.
Other reports on N2408T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.