# Incident 20170408006449I: John D. Williams T-51B, South Lakeland, FL, April 8, 2017

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 8, 2017, 12:30 local time
- Place: South Lakeland, FL
- Airport: South Lakeland A/P, Inc
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft: N751TA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N751TA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: John D Williams T-51B (registry code 05634GF, https://openairdocs.org/model/john-d-williams-t-51b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: JOHN D. WILLIAMS T-51B
- Reported engine: BMW-V12 M-73
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 4,000 total, 1,200 in this make and model
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170408006449I

## Narrative

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

ON 04/08/2017 @12:16 LT, AT SUN & FUN AT LAKELAND LINDER AIRPORT, N751TA, A T-51 KIT MODEL OF A P-51 AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE PATTERN AT THE AIRPORT DOING A DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT PRIOR TO AN AIR SHOW.

ON THE DOWNWIND LEG THE PILOT EXTENDED THE A/C LANDING GEAR AND WHEN HE CHECKED THE GEAR DOWN INDICATOR LIGHTS THE PILOT NOTICED ONLY TWO OF THE THREE GEAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AND TAIL GEAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED BUT THE LEFT MAIN LIGHT WAS NOT INDICATING THE GEAR WAS DOWN & LOCKED.

THE PILOT RECYCLED THE GEAR A FEW TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS. AFTER ATTEMPTING AN EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION AS WELL AS TRYING "HIGH G" MANEUVERS TO AID IN EXTENDING THE GEAR THE PILOT DECIDED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT TO SOUTH LAKELAND AIRPORT (X49), EIGHT NAUTICAL MILES SW OF LAKELAND LINDER AIRPORT.  THE PILOT CHOSE THAT AIRPORT IN ORDER TO NOT INTERRUPT AN AIRSHOW WHICH WAS ABOUT TO START. ANOTHER CONSIDERATION WAS THE AIRPORT IS A SOD FIELD AIRPORT.

FOLLOWING A FEW LOW PASSES, ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE IF THE GEAR PROBLEM WAS  CORRECTABLE IN THE AIR THE PILOT & A/C  OWNER DECIDED TO LAND THE A/C ON THE SOD RUNWAY, GEAR-UP.

THE A/C LANDED WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED  AND LATER FOUND THAT THE LEFT MAIN TIRE WAS HUNG-UP ON SOME SHEET METAL WHICH CAUSED THE GEAR TO REMAIN RETRACTED DUE TO BEING JAMMED BY THE SHEET METAL.

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.

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