What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
04/14/2016 - Received daily report of a hard landing/gear collapse at Camarillo Airport (kcma), Camarillo, CA, on 04/13/2016, at 1226 PDT, involving N288TT, an experimental amateur built Long-Ez. Inspector dees inspected the aircraft, took photographs, and liaised with NTSB at cma. Damage was ascertained to be minor. Inspector dees also obtained the pilot's flight experience and medical information.
A review of msat-a information and inspector dee's notes indicate the pilot currently holds a private pilot certificate, with an airplane single engine land rating, VFR only. Pilot's last flight review was on 09/06/2014, and holds a third class medical, issued on 04/08/2015.
Contacted and interviewed the pilot on 04/20/2016. Pilot stated he had been practicing touch-and-goes in the traffic pattern at kcma. On the landing in question, he stated that although he had been flying the pattern with the nose gear extended, he elected to retract the gear, and run the full checklist for landing. He was asked if he was using the rutan checklist, or and aftermarket checklist; pilot stated that he was using the rutan checklist that he had modified. Pilot went on to state that the gear down light was very dim, and difficult to see in daylight, but that he believed the light was illuminated after he selected the nose gear down while on downwind to kcma. Pilot then stated that the approach and landing to runway 26 were normal, but that on touchdown, the nose wheel collapsed. Pilot was asked if he had landed hard or if the aircraft may have bounced or porpoised before the gear collapsed; pilot responded that the landing was normal, and the nose gear collapsed on roll-out, because it was not fully down and locked. Pilot went on to say that he was in the process of replacing the nose gear down light with a brighter bulb. Pilot was asked if there were any alternate means to determine if the nose gear was down. Pilot stated there is a small window in the nose wheel bay that he could have used, but did not. It was stressed that he should amend his before-landing checklist to include the visual window check. Pilot agreed, and stated he would include it in the before landing checklist.
Based on existing evidence, and pilot interview information, no violation of 14 CFR can be found and no lack of pilot qualifications can be determined. The matter is closed as an incident.
As the FAA filed it
04/14/2016 - RECEIVED DAILY REPORT OF A HARD LANDING/GEAR COLLAPSE AT CAMARILLO AIRPORT (KCMA), CAMARILLO, CA, ON 04/13/2016, AT 1226 PDT, INVOLVING N288TT, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT LONG-EZ. INSPECTOR DEES INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT, TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS, AND LIAISED WITH NTSB AT CMA. DAMAGE WAS ASCERTAINED TO BE MINOR. INSPECTOR DEES ALSO OBTAINED THE PILOT'S FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AND MEDICAL INFORMATION.
A REVIEW OF MSAT-A INFORMATION AND INSPECTOR DEE'S NOTES INDICATE THE PILOT CURRENTLY HOLDS A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE, WITH AN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING, VFR ONLY. PILOT'S LAST FLIGHT REVIEW WAS ON 09/06/2014, AND HOLDS A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL, ISSUED ON 04/08/2015.
CONTACTED AND INTERVIEWED THE PILOT ON 04/20/2016. PILOT STATED HE HAD BEEN PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GOES IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT KCMA. ON THE LANDING IN QUESTION, HE STATED THAT ALTHOUGH HE HAD BEEN FLYING THE PATTERN WITH THE NOSE GEAR EXTENDED, HE ELECTED TO RETRACT THE GEAR, AND RUN THE FULL CHECKLIST FOR LANDING. HE WAS ASKED IF HE WAS USING THE RUTAN CHECKLIST, OR AND AFTERMARKET CHECKLIST; PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS USING THE RUTAN CHECKLIST THAT HE HAD MODIFIED. PILOT WENT ON TO STATE THAT THE GEAR DOWN LIGHT WAS VERY DIM, AND DIFFICULT TO SEE IN DAYLIGHT, BUT THAT HE BELIEVED THE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AFTER HE SELECTED THE NOSE GEAR DOWN WHILE ON DOWNWIND TO KCMA. PILOT THEN STATED THAT THE APPROACH AND LANDING TO RUNWAY 26 WERE NORMAL, BUT THAT ON TOUCHDOWN, THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED. PILOT WAS ASKED IF HE HAD LANDED HARD OR IF THE AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE BOUNCED OR PORPOISED BEFORE THE GEAR COLLAPSED; PILOT RESPONDED THAT THE LANDING WAS NORMAL, AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON ROLL-OUT, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT FULLY DOWN AND LOCKED. PILOT WENT ON TO SAY THAT HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LIGHT WITH A BRIGHTER BULB. PILOT WAS ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY ALTERNATE MEANS TO DETERMINE IF THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN. PILOT STATED THERE IS A SMALL WINDOW IN THE NOSE WHEEL BAY THAT HE COULD HAVE USED, BUT DID NOT. IT WAS STRESSED THAT HE SHOULD AMEND HIS BEFORE-LANDING CHECKLIST TO INCLUDE THE VISUAL WINDOW CHECK. PILOT AGREED, AND STATED HE WOULD INCLUDE IT IN THE BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST.
BASED ON EXISTING EVIDENCE, AND PILOT INTERVIEW INFORMATION, NO VIOLATION OF 14 CFR CAN BE FOUND AND NO LACK OF PILOT QUALIFICATIONS CAN BE DETERMINED. THE MATTER IS CLOSED AS AN INCIDENT.
Other reports on N388TT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.