What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1981 Piper seneca iii model PA-34-220T N8417H serial number 34-8133178 registered to riddell enterprises inc. was involved in an occurrence which took place on August 18, 2017 at 0705 EDT, kffc atlanta regional airport-falcon field. The code of federal regulations part 91 visual flight rules (VFR) flight was to originate from kffc for the purpose of ?ferry? To kcsg columbus airport, Georgia. The pilot in command (PIC) indicated that no appreciable weather conditions existed at the time of the intended flight and a ?normal taxi and takeoff? Was executed.
The PIC indicated, ?after rotation I felt a significant ?clunk? And then a vibration. I looked out to my left at the mirror on the side of the left engine cowl and saw that the nose gear appeared to be cocked instead of positioned straight ahead. With that in mind, I elected not to retract the landing gear. The gear lights otherwise were showing green and down and locked. I made two low pass fly-bys and confirmed the gear was cocked 25 degrees to the right but appeared to be down and locked visually. I circled for almost 2 hours burning off fuel and determining my course of action. I landed on runway 31 at ffc. The weather was clear and 10 miles visibility and light northwest winds. I touched down near the numbers on runway 31 and shut down both engines immediately. The airplane veered right at about 30 degrees immediately despite full left rudder and left brake. The aircraft stopped in the grass to the right of the runway about 1000 feet after departing the runway. There was no visual damage to the aircraft and no injuries?.
The aircraft has 3758.1TT hours. The annual inspection was accomplished on June 17, 2017. The aircraft was inspected following the incident at atlanta east aviation in Peachtree City, Georgia. Initial visual inspection revealed damage localized to the nose gear area of the aircraft. Vertical splits at the weld seam on two sides of the channel assembly (steering) upper tiller track approximately one quarter to one half inch in length. The nose tiller steering roller was detached from the channel assembly (steering) upper tiller track, ?ball-out-of-track?. The nose gear track assembly had a minor scoring on the port side extending the length of the track. The turn-stop bosses were damaged by warping on the strut upper tube assembly. The nose gear centering spring assembly rod was sheared aft of the bearing.
The PIC has a second class medical (996561031) dated may 04, 2017. The PIC holds a airline transport pilot certificate with airplane multi-engine land (amel) and airplane single engine land (asel). The PIC has a total time of 19700 with 650 hours in make and model.
As the FAA filed it
1981 PIPER SENECA III MODEL PA-34-220T N8417H SERIAL NUMBER 34-8133178 REGISTERED TO RIDDELL ENTERPRISES INC. WAS INVOLVED IN AN OCCURRENCE WHICH TOOK PLACE ON AUGUST 18, 2017 AT 0705 EDT, KFFC ATLANTA REGIONAL AIRPORT-FALCON FIELD. THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT WAS TO ORIGINATE FROM KFFC FOR THE PURPOSE OF ?FERRY? TO KCSG COLUMBUS AIRPORT, GEORGIA. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) INDICATED THAT NO APPRECIABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE INTENDED FLIGHT AND A ?NORMAL TAXI AND TAKEOFF? WAS EXECUTED.
THE PIC INDICATED, ?AFTER ROTATION I FELT A SIGNIFICANT ?CLUNK? AND THEN A VIBRATION. I LOOKED OUT TO MY LEFT AT THE MIRROR ON THE SIDE OF THE LEFT ENGINE COWL AND SAW THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE COCKED INSTEAD OF POSITIONED STRAIGHT AHEAD. WITH THAT IN MIND, I ELECTED NOT TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR. THE GEAR LIGHTS OTHERWISE WERE SHOWING GREEN AND DOWN AND LOCKED. I MADE TWO LOW PASS FLY-BYS AND CONFIRMED THE GEAR WAS COCKED 25 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT BUT APPEARED TO BE DOWN AND LOCKED VISUALLY. I CIRCLED FOR ALMOST 2 HOURS BURNING OFF FUEL AND DETERMINING MY COURSE OF ACTION. I LANDED ON RUNWAY 31 AT FFC. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND 10 MILES VISIBILITY AND LIGHT NORTHWEST WINDS. I TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE NUMBERS ON RUNWAY 31 AND SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGINES IMMEDIATELY. THE AIRPLANE VEERED RIGHT AT ABOUT 30 DEGREES IMMEDIATELY DESPITE FULL LEFT RUDDER AND LEFT BRAKE. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED IN THE GRASS TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY ABOUT 1000 FEET AFTER DEPARTING THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS NO VISUAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND NO INJURIES?.
THE AIRCRAFT HAS 3758.1TT HOURS. THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON JUNE 17, 2017. THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT AT ATLANTA EAST AVIATION IN PEACHTREE CITY, GEORGIA. INITIAL VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE LOCALIZED TO THE NOSE GEAR AREA OF THE AIRCRAFT. VERTICAL SPLITS AT THE WELD SEAM ON TWO SIDES OF THE CHANNEL ASSEMBLY (STEERING) UPPER TILLER TRACK APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH IN LENGTH. THE NOSE TILLER STEERING ROLLER WAS DETACHED FROM THE CHANNEL ASSEMBLY (STEERING) UPPER TILLER TRACK, ?BALL-OUT-OF-TRACK?. THE NOSE GEAR TRACK ASSEMBLY HAD A MINOR SCORING ON THE PORT SIDE EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE TRACK. THE TURN-STOP BOSSES WERE DAMAGED BY WARPING ON THE STRUT UPPER TUBE ASSEMBLY. THE NOSE GEAR CENTERING SPRING ASSEMBLY ROD WAS SHEARED AFT OF THE BEARING.
THE PIC HAS A SECOND CLASS MEDICAL (996561031) DATED MAY 04, 2017. THE PIC HOLDS A AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE MULTI-ENGINE LAND (AMEL) AND AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND (ASEL). THE PIC HAS A TOTAL TIME OF 19700 WITH 650 HOURS IN MAKE AND MODEL.
Other reports on N8417H · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.