What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Skywest 494J departed houston (iah) to monterrey Mexico (mty). While on final at mty, pilot declared an emergency with an unsafe gear indication. (At climb out from iah, the crew remembered hearing a loud thud that came from under the captains area). Pilot opted to go to San Antonio international (sat) and land aircraft. During rollout on runway 04 the nose gear collapsed. 3 minor ankle injuries reported after passengers were evacuated using slide.
The aircraft was raised using air bags placed aft of the nose landing gear area. When the aircraft was high enough for the nose gear to lock over-center, maintenance personnel observed that the #1 NLG downlocking spring (part # 170-70700-403) was broken, the upper portion of the broken spring jammed the system from operating as designed. It kept the down lock link from coming over-center (down and locked). Maintenance personnel had to pry the broken spring from its wedged position to allow the down lock link to go over-center. Airplane still had 1 hour 25 minutes left of fuel at time of landing. There was no post crash fire.
The airplane sustained damage to the forward section of the nose landing gear area, several links attached to the nose landing gear door mechanism were broken. #2 engine nacelle sustained some damage to the bottom portion close to the 6 o'clock position. Serial number on spring 1618731/012; Embraer provided engineering technical data (ETD) on part number and is working on a revision for the aircraft illustrated parts catalog (aipc). Recommend skywest airlines to submit malfunction or defect report.
As the FAA filed it
SKYWEST 494J DEPARTED HOUSTON (IAH) TO MONTERREY MEXICO (MTY). WHILE ON FINAL AT MTY, PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION. (AT CLIMB OUT FROM IAH, THE CREW REMEMBERED HEARING A LOUD THUD THAT CAME FROM UNDER THE CAPTAINS AREA). PILOT OPTED TO GO TO SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL (SAT) AND LAND AIRCRAFT. DURING ROLLOUT ON RUNWAY 04 THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. 3 MINOR ANKLE INJURIES REPORTED AFTER PASSENGERS WERE EVACUATED USING SLIDE.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS RAISED USING AIR BAGS PLACED AFT OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AREA. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIGH ENOUGH FOR THE NOSE GEAR TO LOCK OVER-CENTER, MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL OBSERVED THAT THE #1 NLG DOWNLOCKING SPRING (PART # 170-70700-403) WAS BROKEN, THE UPPER PORTION OF THE BROKEN SPRING JAMMED THE SYSTEM FROM OPERATING AS DESIGNED. IT KEPT THE DOWN LOCK LINK FROM COMING OVER-CENTER (DOWN AND LOCKED). MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL HAD TO PRY THE BROKEN SPRING FROM ITS WEDGED POSITION TO ALLOW THE DOWN LOCK LINK TO GO OVER-CENTER. AIRPLANE STILL HAD 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES LEFT OF FUEL AT TIME OF LANDING. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE.
THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AREA, SEVERAL LINKS ATTACHED TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOOR MECHANISM WERE BROKEN. #2 ENGINE NACELLE SUSTAINED SOME DAMAGE TO THE BOTTOM PORTION CLOSE TO THE 6 O'CLOCK POSITION. SERIAL NUMBER ON SPRING 1618731/012; EMBRAER PROVIDED ENGINEERING TECHNICAL DATA (ETD) ON PART NUMBER AND IS WORKING ON A REVISION FOR THE AIRCRAFT ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOG (AIPC). RECOMMEND SKYWEST AIRLINES TO SUBMIT MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.