What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On febraury 13, 2018 at approximately 2030 EST, a Cessna 177RG aircraft, N2043Q sustained minor damage while landing without the main landing gear down and locked at Indianapolis international airport (ind) located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The private pilot and sole occupant were uninjured. The pilot is the registered owner of the aircraft, operated under 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed over the airport. A flight plan was not filed nor required.
The pilot stated he lowered the landing gear while on approach to greenwood airport (hfy) but did not feel the expected increase in drag and the green down and locked indicator did not illuminate. The pilot checked the landing gear circuit breaker and found it in the tripped position. The pilot selected landing gear handle to the up position and reset the breaker. The pilot tried to lower the gear once more but the circuit breaker tripped again. The pilot attempted the emegency extension procedure to manually lower the gear, but as he pumped the handle the expected resistance due to hydraulic pressure build up did not occur and he began to smell hydraulic fluid in the cabin. The pilot contacted Indianapolis ATC, gave his position and advised them of the gear failure. ATC asked if he wanted to procede to ind for a low pass by ind tower for a visual on his landing gear. The pilot agreed and was directed to ind and vectored to runway 23R and authorized for a 500? Pass. During the first pass, the ground personnel could not see the landing gear clearly. Ind tower approved a second pass with a lower altitude. This pass determined the main gear was partially down and the nose gear position unknown. Ind tower asked the pilot his intentions and the pilot decided to land gear up. Ind tower delcared an emergency and allowed the pilot to land gear up on runway 23R.
On touchdown the pilot noted that the nose gear was down and locked and the aircraft settled on its tail. It remained on the runway and skidded to a stop. Recovery equipment arrived to the aircraft. During the recovery, the nose gear collapsed and cause minor damage to the engine cowling and exhaust pipe. The aircraft was raised, the landing gear physically moved to the down and locked position and towed to the millionair FBO ramp.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRAURY 13, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2030 EST, A CESSNA 177RG AIRCRAFT, N2043Q SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHILE LANDING WITHOUT THE MAIN LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED AT INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (IND) LOCATED IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.
THE PRIVATE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT WERE UNINJURED. THE PILOT IS THE REGISTERED OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT, OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED OVER THE AIRPORT. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED NOR REQUIRED.
THE PILOT STATED HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR WHILE ON APPROACH TO GREENWOOD AIRPORT (HFY) BUT DID NOT FEEL THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN DRAG AND THE GREEN DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATOR DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE PILOT CHECKED THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER AND FOUND IT IN THE TRIPPED POSITION. THE PILOT SELECTED LANDING GEAR HANDLE TO THE UP POSITION AND RESET THE BREAKER. THE PILOT TRIED TO LOWER THE GEAR ONCE MORE BUT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPED AGAIN. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED THE EMEGENCY EXTENSION PROCEDURE TO MANUALLY LOWER THE GEAR, BUT AS HE PUMPED THE HANDLE THE EXPECTED RESISTANCE DUE TO HYDRAULIC PRESSURE BUILD UP DID NOT OCCUR AND HE BEGAN TO SMELL HYDRAULIC FLUID IN THE CABIN. THE PILOT CONTACTED INDIANAPOLIS ATC, GAVE HIS POSITION AND ADVISED THEM OF THE GEAR FAILURE. ATC ASKED IF HE WANTED TO PROCEDE TO IND FOR A LOW PASS BY IND TOWER FOR A VISUAL ON HIS LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT AGREED AND WAS DIRECTED TO IND AND VECTORED TO RUNWAY 23R AND AUTHORIZED FOR A 500? PASS. DURING THE FIRST PASS, THE GROUND PERSONNEL COULD NOT SEE THE LANDING GEAR CLEARLY. IND TOWER APPROVED A SECOND PASS WITH A LOWER ALTITUDE. THIS PASS DETERMINED THE MAIN GEAR WAS PARTIALLY DOWN AND THE NOSE GEAR POSITION UNKNOWN. IND TOWER ASKED THE PILOT HIS INTENTIONS AND THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND GEAR UP. IND TOWER DELCARED AN EMERGENCY AND ALLOWED THE PILOT TO LAND GEAR UP ON RUNWAY 23R.
ON TOUCHDOWN THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED AND THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON ITS TAIL. IT REMAINED ON THE RUNWAY AND SKIDDED TO A STOP. RECOVERY EQUIPMENT ARRIVED TO THE AIRCRAFT. DURING THE RECOVERY, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND CAUSE MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE COWLING AND EXHAUST PIPE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RAISED, THE LANDING GEAR PHYSICALLY MOVED TO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION AND TOWED TO THE MILLIONAIR FBO RAMP.
Other reports on N2043Q · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.