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20150921023009I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28R-201T · Butler, PA · September 21, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 21, 2015 · 19:15 local
Place
Butler, PA
Airport
Butler County/K W Scholter Fie
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N313EM
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-201T
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N313EMRegistered now · Piper PA-28R-201TS/N 28R-7703275 · Built 1977Airframe modelPiper PA-28R-201TEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The pilotprivacy data omittedand one passenger were returning to Butler on 9/21/2015 for a pleasure flight. Upon approach to Butler airport on runway 21 the pilot placed the gear in the down position and did not receive a down and locked indication. After many attempts to lower the gear (normal and emergency) and fly bys for verification of the situation, the pilot elected to land the aircraft with the gear up.

Reports were received from the pilot and a certificated mechanic that during the removal of the aircraft from the runway the nose gear tension springs were both found disconnected at the bottom nose gear spring arm. This assembly along with the hydraulic system assists the nose gear into the down and locked position. Damage to the aircraft was limited to the right wing step, inboard aft trailing edge of the left flap, the left outboard hat rail assembly, fuselage antennas, left wing to fuselage attachment bolt threads and nuts, both propeller tips, and one end of both nose gear tension springs were stretched.

On 9/23/2015, inspection of the aircraft?s landing gear revealed the springs were deformed and the hydraulic system may have been weak. With the deformed springs connected the system performed correctly. Spring tensions could not be determined at that time. With the springs disconnected the nose gear could easily be held back from the over center down and locked position.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AND ONE PASSENGER WERE RETURNING TO BUTLER ON 9/21/2015 FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT. UPON APPROACH TO BUTLER AIRPORT ON RUNWAY 21 THE PILOT PLACED THE GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION AND DID NOT RECEIVE A DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS TO LOWER THE GEAR (NORMAL AND EMERGENCY) AND FLY BYS FOR VERIFICATION OF THE SITUATION, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE GEAR UP.

REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE PILOT AND A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC THAT DURING THE REMOVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY THE NOSE GEAR TENSION SPRINGS WERE BOTH FOUND DISCONNECTED AT THE BOTTOM NOSE GEAR SPRING ARM. THIS ASSEMBLY ALONG WITH THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM ASSISTS THE NOSE GEAR INTO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIMITED TO THE RIGHT WING STEP, INBOARD AFT TRAILING EDGE OF THE LEFT FLAP, THE LEFT OUTBOARD HAT RAIL ASSEMBLY, FUSELAGE ANTENNAS, LEFT WING TO FUSELAGE ATTACHMENT BOLT THREADS AND NUTS, BOTH PROPELLER TIPS, AND ONE END OF BOTH NOSE GEAR TENSION SPRINGS WERE STRETCHED.

ON 9/23/2015, INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT?S LANDING GEAR REVEALED THE SPRINGS WERE DEFORMED AND THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM MAY HAVE BEEN WEAK. WITH THE DEFORMED SPRINGS CONNECTED THE SYSTEM PERFORMED CORRECTLY. SPRING TENSIONS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AT THAT TIME. WITH THE SPRINGS DISCONNECTED THE NOSE GEAR COULD EASILY BE HELD BACK FROM THE OVER CENTER DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION.