What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While on an ILS approach into Dekalb-Peachtree Airport (pdk), the pilot stated that he lowered the landing gear as he approached the final approach fix, but he got distracted because his glideslope indicator was not working properly. The pilot said that he did not remember ever cross checking a green gear down and locked indication (this aircraft only has one gear down indicator light). He said that the touchdown was normal and smooth. After rolling approximately 400 feet, he said that he heard a snap and felt the plane drop to the left, causing the aircraft to veer to the left of the runway. The aircraft then rolled another 200 feet before exiting runway 21L into soft mud and grass. The pilot stated that at some point the right main landing gear must have dropped. After coming to a stop, the pilot and passenger shutdown the aircraft and exited the aircraft normally without injury. Initial inspection of the aircraft showed it in a left wing down position, with both main landing gear folded into the wheel wells, and the nose gear down and locked. There was damage to the left horizontal stab spar, left elevator, and aft underbelly skin. The engine and prop did not appear to sustain any damage. Mechanics were able to lift the aircraft and lock the gear down for towing. A hydraulic line on the left actuator had to be disconnected to do this. The hydraulic fluid level was checked before removal and found to be full. Mechanics noted that the fluid that was drained was fresh looking and free of debris. Additionally, no leaks or hydraulic residue was noted in the immediate area of the actuators before the line was disconnected. Once in the hangar and up on jacks, mechanics reconnected the hydraulic line and were able to perform several fault free (normal and emergency) gear cycles. The gear warning mechanism was checked for correct operation and was found to be working. The gear down and locked indicator light worked normally. The mechanic did report that the left gear down limit switch did feel a little sticky; however, despite this sticky feeling switch, the gear cycled properly on every attempt while in the shop.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE ON AN ILS APPROACH INTO DEKALB-PEACHTREE AIRPORT (PDK), THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AS HE APPROACHED THE FINAL APPROACH FIX, BUT HE GOT DISTRACTED BECAUSE HIS GLIDESLOPE INDICATOR WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER EVER CROSS CHECKING A GREEN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION (THIS AIRCRAFT ONLY HAS ONE GEAR DOWN INDICATOR LIGHT). HE SAID THAT THE TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL AND SMOOTH. AFTER ROLLING APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET, HE SAID THAT HE HEARD A SNAP AND FELT THE PLANE DROP TO THE LEFT, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED ANOTHER 200 FEET BEFORE EXITING RUNWAY 21L INTO SOFT MUD AND GRASS. THE PILOT STATED THAT AT SOME POINT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR MUST HAVE DROPPED. AFTER COMING TO A STOP, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SHUTDOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT NORMALLY WITHOUT INJURY. INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED IT IN A LEFT WING DOWN POSITION, WITH BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR FOLDED INTO THE WHEEL WELLS, AND THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STAB SPAR, LEFT ELEVATOR, AND AFT UNDERBELLY SKIN. THE ENGINE AND PROP DID NOT APPEAR TO SUSTAIN ANY DAMAGE. MECHANICS WERE ABLE TO LIFT THE AIRCRAFT AND LOCK THE GEAR DOWN FOR TOWING. A HYDRAULIC LINE ON THE LEFT ACTUATOR HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED TO DO THIS. THE HYDRAULIC FLUID LEVEL WAS CHECKED BEFORE REMOVAL AND FOUND TO BE FULL. MECHANICS NOTED THAT THE FLUID THAT WAS DRAINED WAS FRESH LOOKING AND FREE OF DEBRIS. ADDITIONALLY, NO LEAKS OR HYDRAULIC RESIDUE WAS NOTED IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE ACTUATORS BEFORE THE LINE WAS DISCONNECTED. ONCE IN THE HANGAR AND UP ON JACKS, MECHANICS RECONNECTED THE HYDRAULIC LINE AND WERE ABLE TO PERFORM SEVERAL FAULT FREE (NORMAL AND EMERGENCY) GEAR CYCLES. THE GEAR WARNING MECHANISM WAS CHECKED FOR CORRECT OPERATION AND WAS FOUND TO BE WORKING. THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATOR LIGHT WORKED NORMALLY. THE MECHANIC DID REPORT THAT THE LEFT GEAR DOWN LIMIT SWITCH DID FEEL A LITTLE STICKY; HOWEVER, DESPITE THIS STICKY FEELING SWITCH, THE GEAR CYCLED PROPERLY ON EVERY ATTEMPT WHILE IN THE SHOP.
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 N731LT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.