What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While setting up for the visual approach to Richard B Russell regional airport - j. h. towers field (krmg), the pilot in command (PIC) lowered the landing gear handle on downwind for runway 1 with the nose gear failing to extend. The PIC noted two green lights for the main landing gear, but no light for the nose gear and the hydraulic pressure light remained on. The PIC then orbited the field and executed the abnormal and emergency procedures to include emergency gear blow-down procedures in accordance with the aircraft pilot operating handbook (POH) without success. Airport personnel were then notified and emergency equipment requested while the PIC conducted a few low passes which confirmed that the nose gear was up and the nose gear doors were closed. Several more orbits were made to burn off excess fuel before making a final approach to landing. The PIC stated that he landed nose high, and the propellers contacted the runway before he closed the firewall shutoff valves. After shutdown, the pilot and passengers safely exited the aircraft via the right over wing emergency exit with no injuries reported.
Post mishap inspection of the nose gear revealed that the clevis pin securing the up lock hook to the up lock actuator had fallen out, preventing the actuator to unlock and release the nose gear. The clevis pin and washers were found in the gear doors. There was no evidence of a cotter pin in the area.
After reviewing the maintenance logbooks, an entry dated 10/22/2015 (aircraft total time: 9,116.5) revealed that the nose gear up lock actuator was removed from the aircraft and all of the o-rings were replaced. The aircraft total time when the accident occurred was 9,140.2. Therefore, 23.7 flight hours and 18 cycles of the landing gear occurred from landing gear maintenance being performed to the accident.
FAA airworthiness inspector assessed total damage to N441TN as substantial. Evidence confirmed that the emergency blow-down bottle had been actuated. The propellers were destroyed upon impact with the ground causing some of the propeller tips to penetrate the fuselage. Both propeller hubs were ruptured and both engines received substantial damage. Sheet metal on the bottom of the nose received substantial damage just aft of the radome. The damaged area will require major repairs to install new sheet metal and possible ribs and stringers. The pitot tubes on both sides of the aircraft nose were ripped off. This will require major repair and adjustment to the pitot-static system. Under the cockpit on both sides revealed possible stress damage to the aircraft skin (winkles) due to the force taken by the nose impacting the runway. This area is in the pressurized section. Also, on the co-pilot side, there are three deep gouges in the skin from pieces of the propeller hitting the fuselage. This area is in the pressurized section. A repair will have to be made by patching the area or removing and replacing the sheet metal. This will require a major repair.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE SETTING UP FOR THE VISUAL APPROACH TO RICHARD B RUSSELL REGIONAL AIRPORT - J. H. TOWERS FIELD (KRMG), THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE ON DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 1 WITH THE NOSE GEAR FAILING TO EXTEND. THE PIC NOTED TWO GREEN LIGHTS FOR THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, BUT NO LIGHT FOR THE NOSE GEAR AND THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE LIGHT REMAINED ON. THE PIC THEN ORBITED THE FIELD AND EXECUTED THE ABNORMAL AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES TO INCLUDE EMERGENCY GEAR BLOW-DOWN PROCEDURES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AIRCRAFT PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH) WITHOUT SUCCESS. AIRPORT PERSONNEL WERE THEN NOTIFIED AND EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT REQUESTED WHILE THE PIC CONDUCTED A FEW LOW PASSES WHICH CONFIRMED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS UP AND THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE CLOSED. SEVERAL MORE ORBITS WERE MADE TO BURN OFF EXCESS FUEL BEFORE MAKING A FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING. THE PIC STATED THAT HE LANDED NOSE HIGH, AND THE PROPELLERS CONTACTED THE RUNWAY BEFORE HE CLOSED THE FIREWALL SHUTOFF VALVES. AFTER SHUTDOWN, THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS SAFELY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT VIA THE RIGHT OVER WING EMERGENCY EXIT WITH NO INJURIES REPORTED.
POST MISHAP INSPECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR REVEALED THAT THE CLEVIS PIN SECURING THE UP LOCK HOOK TO THE UP LOCK ACTUATOR HAD FALLEN OUT, PREVENTING THE ACTUATOR TO UNLOCK AND RELEASE THE NOSE GEAR. THE CLEVIS PIN AND WASHERS WERE FOUND IN THE GEAR DOORS. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A COTTER PIN IN THE AREA.
AFTER REVIEWING THE MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS, AN ENTRY DATED 10/22/2015 (AIRCRAFT TOTAL TIME: 9,116.5) REVEALED THAT THE NOSE GEAR UP LOCK ACTUATOR WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND ALL OF THE O-RINGS WERE REPLACED. THE AIRCRAFT TOTAL TIME WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WAS 9,140.2. THEREFORE, 23.7 FLIGHT HOURS AND 18 CYCLES OF THE LANDING GEAR OCCURRED FROM LANDING GEAR MAINTENANCE BEING PERFORMED TO THE ACCIDENT.
FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR ASSESSED TOTAL DAMAGE TO N441TN AS SUBSTANTIAL. EVIDENCE CONFIRMED THAT THE EMERGENCY BLOW-DOWN BOTTLE HAD BEEN ACTUATED. THE PROPELLERS WERE DESTROYED UPON IMPACT WITH THE GROUND CAUSING SOME OF THE PROPELLER TIPS TO PENETRATE THE FUSELAGE. BOTH PROPELLER HUBS WERE RUPTURED AND BOTH ENGINES RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. SHEET METAL ON THE BOTTOM OF THE NOSE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE JUST AFT OF THE RADOME. THE DAMAGED AREA WILL REQUIRE MAJOR REPAIRS TO INSTALL NEW SHEET METAL AND POSSIBLE RIBS AND STRINGERS. THE PITOT TUBES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRCRAFT NOSE WERE RIPPED OFF. THIS WILL REQUIRE MAJOR REPAIR AND ADJUSTMENT TO THE PITOT-STATIC SYSTEM. UNDER THE COCKPIT ON BOTH SIDES REVEALED POSSIBLE STRESS DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT SKIN (WINKLES) DUE TO THE FORCE TAKEN BY THE NOSE IMPACTING THE RUNWAY. THIS AREA IS IN THE PRESSURIZED SECTION. ALSO, ON THE CO-PILOT SIDE, THERE ARE THREE DEEP GOUGES IN THE SKIN FROM PIECES OF THE PROPELLER HITTING THE FUSELAGE. THIS AREA IS IN THE PRESSURIZED SECTION. A REPAIR WILL HAVE TO BE MADE BY PATCHING THE AREA OR REMOVING AND REPLACING THE SHEET METAL. THIS WILL REQUIRE A MAJOR REPAIR.