What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1. Description of accident: the PIC of N210LC, departed byy (bay city, TX) for edc (austin, TX) at 0900 on 10/18/2016. After about an hour enroute he approached edc for landing. No green light was received after putting the landing gear handle down. Pilot went through his procedure for emergency landing gear extension, although the checklist was not consulted. No resistance was felt on the emergency landing gear handle after pumping. A mirror indicated the nose gear was down, and pilot and his passenger could see both main gears down. No green panel light was present to indicate a locked position, however. After landing on rwy 16 the right main collapsed. The aircraft veered off the right side of the runway, spun to the right, and came to rest in the grass, clear of the runway, facing the opposite direction of landing. No injuries. Substantial damage to the right stabilizer and elevator qualified the event as an accident. The aircraft was removed by airport personnel and relocated to the ramp, where it was subsequently inspected by FAA operations. The right main was manually pulled into the locked position by a mechanic after the aircraft was raised. When the FAA arrived, the aircraft was sitting on the ramp with all three wheels down and locked. Pumping of the emergency gear handle by FAA on the ramp revealed a hydraulic fluid leak near the pump with no resistance being felt on the handle. Apparently there was not enough hydraulic pressure to lock the right main.
2. Causal and or contributing factors not already addressed: the pilot located the emergency gear extension checklist post-accident and reviewed it with FAA. All the steps in the checklist were accomplished; no difference would have resulted had the checklist been used. However, strong counsel was given regarding the use of abnormal/emergency checklists as opposed to relying on aircraft knowledge, as each case may be different. FAA airworthiness looked at aircraft on 10/20/2016. No leak was evident on that inspection. Reason unknown.
3. Recommendations for systemic correction action to reduce risk of future occurrence: none
4. Comments if any: none
As the FAA filed it
1. DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT: THE PIC OF N210LC, DEPARTED BYY (BAY CITY, TX) FOR EDC (AUSTIN, TX) AT 0900 ON 10/18/2016. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR ENROUTE HE APPROACHED EDC FOR LANDING. NO GREEN LIGHT WAS RECEIVED AFTER PUTTING THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE DOWN. PILOT WENT THROUGH HIS PROCEDURE FOR EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION, ALTHOUGH THE CHECKLIST WAS NOT CONSULTED. NO RESISTANCE WAS FELT ON THE EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR HANDLE AFTER PUMPING. A MIRROR INDICATED THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN, AND PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER COULD SEE BOTH MAIN GEARS DOWN. NO GREEN PANEL LIGHT WAS PRESENT TO INDICATE A LOCKED POSITION, HOWEVER. AFTER LANDING ON RWY 16 THE RIGHT MAIN COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, SPUN TO THE RIGHT, AND CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS, CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY, FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF LANDING. NO INJURIES. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR QUALIFIED THE EVENT AS AN ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED BY AIRPORT PERSONNEL AND RELOCATED TO THE RAMP, WHERE IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY INSPECTED BY FAA OPERATIONS. THE RIGHT MAIN WAS MANUALLY PULLED INTO THE LOCKED POSITION BY A MECHANIC AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS RAISED. WHEN THE FAA ARRIVED, THE AIRCRAFT WAS SITTING ON THE RAMP WITH ALL THREE WHEELS DOWN AND LOCKED. PUMPING OF THE EMERGENCY GEAR HANDLE BY FAA ON THE RAMP REVEALED A HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAK NEAR THE PUMP WITH NO RESISTANCE BEING FELT ON THE HANDLE. APPARENTLY THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH HYDRAULIC PRESSURE TO LOCK THE RIGHT MAIN.
2. CAUSAL AND OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS NOT ALREADY ADDRESSED: THE PILOT LOCATED THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION CHECKLIST POST-ACCIDENT AND REVIEWED IT WITH FAA. ALL THE STEPS IN THE CHECKLIST WERE ACCOMPLISHED; NO DIFFERENCE WOULD HAVE RESULTED HAD THE CHECKLIST BEEN USED. HOWEVER, STRONG COUNSEL WAS GIVEN REGARDING THE USE OF ABNORMAL/EMERGENCY CHECKLISTS AS OPPOSED TO RELYING ON AIRCRAFT KNOWLEDGE, AS EACH CASE MAY BE DIFFERENT. FAA AIRWORTHINESS LOOKED AT AIRCRAFT ON 10/20/2016. NO LEAK WAS EVIDENT ON THAT INSPECTION. REASON UNKNOWN.
3. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CORRECTION ACTION TO REDUCE RISK OF FUTURE OCCURRENCE: NONE
4. COMMENTS IF ANY: NONE
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 N210LC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.