What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was on routine pleasure flight. When he prepared to return to the airport ktpl (Temple, Texas) pilot lowered the landing gear, only the right main and nose gear lights showed down. Pilot cycled the gear again and had same results. Pilot contacted the airport terminal and asked them to look at the gear as pilot flew over terminal. Persons on the ground indicated to pilot gear looked down.
Pilot elected to fly over VOR and try to extend gear. This time gear indicator went into the in transit position and would not fully retract. Pilot then pulled gear curcuit breaker and tried to manually extend gear. Pilot then flew over terminal once more. Persons on ground advised pilot gear looked down. Pilot did not have any indication gear was down and locked. Pilot decided to land, when gear touched down the main gear partially folded and as the aircraft slowed the nose gear collapsed causing the propeller to strike runway. Pilot reported no injuries, there was no post crash fire. To date it has not been determined as to why the gear collapsed. Owner is in process of selling the aircraft and once the new owner has the aircraft troubleshot and finds the cause of the problem, he will notify this office.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS ON ROUTINE PLEASURE FLIGHT. WHEN HE PREPARED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT KTPL (TEMPLE, TEXAS) PILOT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR, ONLY THE RIGHT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR LIGHTS SHOWED DOWN. PILOT CYCLED THE GEAR AGAIN AND HAD SAME RESULTS. PILOT CONTACTED THE AIRPORT TERMINAL AND ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT THE GEAR AS PILOT FLEW OVER TERMINAL.PERSONS ON THE GROUND INDICATED TO PILOT GEAR LOOKED DOWN.
PILOT ELECTED TO FLY OVER VOR AND TRY TO EXTEND GEAR. THIS TIME GEAR INDICATOR WENT INTO THE IN TRANSIT POSITION AND WOULD NOT FULLY RETRACT. PILOT THEN PULLED GEAR CURCUIT BREAKER AND TRIED TO MANUALLY EXTEND GEAR. PILOT THEN FLEW OVER TERMINAL ONCE MORE. PERSONS ON GROUND ADVISED PILOT GEAR LOOKED DOWN. PILOT DID NOT HAVE ANY INDICATION GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. PILOT DECIDED TO LAND, WHEN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN THE MAIN GEAR PARTIALLY FOLDED AND AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING THE PROPELLER TO STRIKE RUNWAY. PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES, THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. TO DATE IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AS TO WHY THE GEAR COLLAPSED. OWNER IS IN PROCESS OF SELLING THE AIRCRAFT AND ONCE THE NEW OWNER HAS THE AIRCRAFT TROUBLESHOT AND FINDS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, HE WILL NOTIFY THIS OFFICE.
Other reports on N1559L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.