What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Upon arrival at lansing,MI (klan), the pilot was cleared to land and began his pre-landing checklist. Upon selecting the gear switch to the down position, he heard a loud "bang" noise that sounded like it came from the nose wheel well. After a few seconds, the main gear lights were illuminating green, indicating down and locked, but the nose gear light was unlit, and the red "gear in transit" light was still illuminated. At this time, the pilot requested that the klan tower allow him to perform a flyby, to determine if they could see the nose gear. Upon flyby of the tower, air traffic personnel informed him that they could not see the nose gear.
At this time the pilot selected gear up on the gear selector, which fully retracted the gear and extinguished the gear in transit light. Once the gear was retracted, the pilot observed that the aircraft was flying normally, with no adverse flight characteristics. At this time he informed the tower that he would like to depart to the north and receive flight following. He then proceeded north towards Gaylord, MI (kglr), maintaining VFR throughout the entire length of the flight.
Upon arrival at kglr, the pilot was able to communicate with the company director of maintenance, and update him on the status of the aircraft. At this time, the pilot once again went through the pre-landing checklist, and upon selecting the gear down, he received the same indications as before (two green lights for the mains, but no light for the nose, and the transit light still illuminated) after this, he proceeded to try and perform the emergency gear extension as per the emergency checklist. After completion of the checklist, the nose gear indication was still not illuminated, nor visible from the ground crew.
After receiving the ok from all the ground crew, he proceeded to land on runway 27. Upon touchdown, he held the nose off for as long as possible while maintaining directional control of the aircraft. Once the nose of the plane touch the ground, he pulled both engine mixtures. Upon stopping, the pilot shut off all power to the aircraft and selected both fuel selectors to off, and exited the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
UPON ARRIVAL AT LANSING,MI (KLAN), THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO LAND AND BEGAN HIS PRE-LANDING CHECKLIST. UPON SELECTING THE GEAR SWITCH TO THE DOWN POSITION, HE HEARD A LOUD "BANG" NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE IT CAME FROM THE NOSE WHEEL WELL. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE MAIN GEAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATING GREEN, INDICATING DOWN AND LOCKED, BUT THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT WAS UNLIT, AND THE RED "GEAR IN TRANSIT" LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. AT THIS TIME, THE PILOT REQUESTED THAT THE KLAN TOWER ALLOW HIM TO PERFORM A FLYBY, TO DETERMINE IF THEY COULD SEE THE NOSE GEAR. UPON FLYBY OF THE TOWER, AIR TRAFFIC PERSONNEL INFORMED HIM THAT THEY COULD NOT SEE THE NOSE GEAR.
AT THIS TIME THE PILOT SELECTED GEAR UP ON THE GEAR SELECTOR, WHICH FULLY RETRACTED THE GEAR AND EXTINGUISHED THE GEAR IN TRANSIT LIGHT. ONCE THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED, THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING NORMALLY, WITH NO ADVERSE FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS. AT THIS TIME HE INFORMED THE TOWER THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO DEPART TO THE NORTH AND RECEIVE FLIGHT FOLLOWING. HE THEN PROCEEDED NORTH TOWARDS GAYLORD, MI (KGLR), MAINTAINING VFR THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE FLIGHT.
UPON ARRIVAL AT KGLR, THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMPANY DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE, AND UPDATE HIM ON THE STATUS OF THE AIRCRAFT. AT THIS TIME, THE PILOT ONCE AGAIN WENT THROUGH THE PRE-LANDING CHECKLIST, AND UPON SELECTING THE GEAR DOWN, HE RECEIVED THE SAME INDICATIONS AS BEFORE (TWO GREEN LIGHTS FOR THE MAINS, BUT NO LIGHT FOR THE NOSE, AND THE TRANSIT LIGHT STILL ILLUMINATED) AFTER THIS, HE PROCEEDED TO TRY AND PERFORM THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION AS PER THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE CHECKLIST, THE NOSE GEAR INDICATION WAS STILL NOT ILLUMINATED, NOR VISIBLE FROM THE GROUND CREW.
AFTER RECEIVING THE OK FROM ALL THE GROUND CREW, HE PROCEEDED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 27. UPON TOUCHDOWN, HE HELD THE NOSE OFF FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE WHILE MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. ONCE THE NOSE OF THE PLANE TOUCH THE GROUND, HE PULLED BOTH ENGINE MIXTURES. UPON STOPPING, THE PILOT SHUT OFF ALL POWER TO THE AIRCRAFT AND SELECTED BOTH FUEL SELECTORS TO OFF, AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.
Other reports on N71NC · 1
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