# Incident 20170210005799I: Piper PA-31-350, Fairbanks, AK, February 10, 2017

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 10, 2017, 12:15 local time
- Place: Fairbanks, AK
- Airport: Fairbanks International Airpor
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: WVBA
- Location: 64.8154° N, 147.8567° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FAIRBANKS INTL (FAI), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.8154&lon=-147.8567&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3589B, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3589B) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31-350
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 2,500 total, 210 in this make and model, 140 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170210005799I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

?ON APPROACH TO ANAKTUVUK PASS (PAKP), AMBIENT TEMPERATURE -35° C, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT ONLY THE TWO MAIN GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS INDICATED GREEN (DOWN AND LOCKED). THE NOSE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED AND THE RED TRANSFER LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED (NOT DOWN AND NOT LOCKED). THE PILOT RECYCLED THE GEAR HANDLE, THE RESULT WAS NO CHANGE TO THE MAIN OR THE NOSE GEAR POSITIONS. THE APPROACH WAS ABORTED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO FAIRBANKS (PAFA), WITH THE GEAR EXTENDED. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED FAIRBANKS, THE PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CYCLE THE LANDING GEAR EMERGENCY PUMP BY THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE NOSE GEAR POSITION (NOT DOWN AND NOT LOCKED). THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE NOSE GEAR IN NOT DOWN AND NOT LOCKED POSITION. THE PILOT MADE A SLOW NORTHERLY APPROACH AND GENTLY SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED MODERATE DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE NOSE CONE, NOSE LANDING GEAR DOORS AND TO BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT PROPELLER BLADES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PASSENGER OR PILOT OR DAMAGE TO THE RUNWAY. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT HAD LANDED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR'S DOWN (PRESSURE) FITTING HAD SHEARED AT THE ATTACHMENT SITE OF THE ACTUATOR.  ACCORDING TO A RECENT MAINTENANCE RECORDS CHECK, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECORDED REPLACEMENT OR ADJUSTMENT OF THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR FITTING OR HYDRAULIC HOSE IN THE LAST 4 YEARS.?

## Other reports on N3589B (4)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20230815009849I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230815009849I), Aug 15, 2023: Piper PA-31-350 (N3589B), Fairbanks, AK, Minor damage. Upon gear extension, aircraft showed "3 green" lights, indicated. Aircraft touched down smoothly on landing. At approximately 1000 ft down runway, aircraft…
- [Incident 19900326012809I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900326012809I), Mar 26, 1990: Piper PA31350 (N3589B), St Louis, MO. Nose gear tire went flat on landing rollout. Deplaned on runway and towed aircraft to ramp.
- [Incident 19880812046239I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880812046239I), Aug 12, 1988: Piper PA31350 (N3589B), Oklahoma City, OK, Minor damage. Right prop separated from engine during climbout. PIC returned and landed safely. Cause undetermined.
- [Incident 19870720057469I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870720057469I), Jul 20, 1987: Piper PA31350 (N3589B), Oklahoma City, OK, Minor damage. Oil from engine caught fire and extinguished by fire bottle. Safe landing.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.