What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 5 December 2016 a CFI and student were conducting a training flight. On a practice simulated emergency landing approach, they extended the landing gear, the nose gear down light did not illuminate. They conducted the POH emergency procedures, and made a low pass on 27L so the tower could confirm the gear was down. Which they did confirm it looked down. The PIC contact her boss and they decided to make a landing. The crew discussed if anything went wrong they would abort the landing. Upon touchdown the nose gear started to collaspe and the PIC aborted the landing. At this time the tower actuated the crash alarm and the ARFF responded and stood by until the aircraft landed. They PIC flew to the north east of the field and performed several abrupt manuvers to see if they could get the gear to lock in place, which it did not.
The PIC contacted her boss and dom, they discussed the situation and figured it could not be fixed in the air. The PIC continued to circle to burn off fuel and prepare for an emergency landing. On final to 27R she instructed her student to secure the engine as per the POH when the landing was assured. She stated on landing she held the nose off the runway as long as she could and that when the nose touchdowned the gear slowly started to collaspe. As soon as the aircraft came to a stop the crew exited the aircraft with no injuries.
Upon the release of the aircraft by the FAA to ARFF and the aircraft owner to remove it from the runway. The dom discovered a nut and cotter pin missing from a bolt connecting the nose gear strut to the drag link and brace assembly. This bolt also attaches to the arm and connects the spring which holds the drag link brace in the over center and down lock position. It was noted that due to the missing hardware. The bolt was displaced about one half inch to the right. This displacement allowed the spring arm assembly to rotate past the boss on the drag link and brace the arm sets against, making the drag link unable to achieve an over center position and the ability to lock in place.
As the FAA filed it
ON 5 DECEMBER 2016 A CFI AND STUDENT WERE CONDUCTING A TRAINING FLIGHT. ON A PRACTICE SIMULATED EMERGENCY LANDING APPROACH, THEY EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR, THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THEY CONDUCTED THE POH EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, AND MADE A LOW PASS ON 27L SO THE TOWER COULD CONFIRM THE GEAR WAS DOWN. WHICH THEY DID CONFIRM IT LOOKED DOWN. THE PIC CONTACT HER BOSS AND THEY DECIDED TO MAKE A LANDING. THE CREW DISCUSSED IF ANYTHING WENT WRONG THEY WOULD ABORT THE LANDING. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE GEAR STARTED TO COLLASPE AND THE PIC ABORTED THE LANDING. AT THIS TIME THE TOWER ACTUATED THE CRASH ALARM AND THE ARFF RESPONDED AND STOOD BY UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT LANDED. THEY PIC FLEW TO THE NORTH EAST OF THE FIELD AND PERFORMED SEVERAL ABRUPT MANUVERS TO SEE IF THEY COULD GET THE GEAR TO LOCK IN PLACE, WHICH IT DID NOT.
THE PIC CONTACTED HER BOSS AND DOM, THEY DISCUSSED THE SITUATION AND FIGURED IT COULD NOT BE FIXED IN THE AIR. THE PIC CONTINUED TO CIRCLE TO BURN OFF FUEL AND PREPARE FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. ON FINAL TO 27R SHE INSTRUCTED HER STUDENT TO SECURE THE ENGINE AS PER THE POH WHEN THE LANDING WAS ASSURED. SHE STATED ON LANDING SHE HELD THE NOSE OFF THE RUNWAY AS LONG AS SHE COULD AND THAT WHEN THE NOSE TOUCHDOWNED THE GEAR SLOWLY STARTED TO COLLASPE. AS SOON AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP THE CREW EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.
UPON THE RELEASE OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE FAA TO ARFF AND THE AIRCRAFT OWNER TO REMOVE IT FROM THE RUNWAY. THE DOM DISCOVERED A NUT AND COTTER PIN MISSING FROM A BOLT CONNECTING THE NOSE GEAR STRUT TO THE DRAG LINK AND BRACE ASSEMBLY. THIS BOLT ALSO ATTACHES TO THE ARM AND CONNECTS THE SPRING WHICH HOLDS THE DRAG LINK BRACE IN THE OVER CENTER AND DOWN LOCK POSITION. IT WAS NOTED THAT DUE TO THE MISSING HARDWARE. THE BOLT WAS DISPLACED ABOUT ONE HALF INCH TO THE RIGHT. THIS DISPLACEMENT ALLOWED THE SPRING ARM ASSEMBLY TO ROTATE PAST THE BOSS ON THE DRAG LINK AND BRACE THE ARM SETS AGAINST, MAKING THE DRAG LINK UNABLE TO ACHIEVE AN OVER CENTER POSITION AND THE ABILITY TO LOCK IN PLACE.
Other reports on N36458 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.