What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N720CK landed on runway 4 with the nose wheel up at Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (ktcl). All three flight crew and one mechanic evacuated the airplane via the L1 door.
The airplane was inbound from laredo international airport (klrd), operating under the provision 14 CFR part 121 as on-demand supplemental all-cargo. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Tuscaloosa Regional Airport had been landing runway 22. With the tower closing, the crew was given the option for a landing runway. Birmingham approach reported winds at 200 at 4 knots and the crew decided to land runway 4, which was a straight-in approach. The Tuscaloosa control tower closed at 8P.m. (CST) and the crew?s last communication with air traffic control was at 8:01P.m. when they were told by birmingham approach control to report IFR cancellation and cleared for a visual approach to runway 4 at approximately 6 miles from the airport.
Based on interviews and statements made by the flight crew, the aircraft had a (red) nose gear warning light illuminated after the landing gear lever was selected down. The (green) nose gear light that confirms the gear was down and locked did not illuminate. The main landing gear showed two green down and lock lights.
Upon selection of landing flaps the gear horn sounded. Abnormal checklists for ?landing gear warning light illuminated? And ?gear down and locked lights extinguished with gear lever down? Were not accomplished prior to landing. There was no attempt at manual nose gear extension. No emergency was declared with air traffic control.
The first officer (pilot not flying) issued calls for a go around and the flight engineer called for cycling of the landing gear. The captain (pilot flying) did not go around.
The aircraft touched down main gear first. The nose landing gear remained in the retracted position. As the captain lowered the nose of the aircraft, the forward lower fuselage contacted the runway at the 4,659? Mark skidding 1,382? With 458? Remaining from the nose of the aircraft to the end of runway 4.
Damage to aircraft includes nose gear doors and lower fuselage forward and aft of the nose gear doors. Both areas contacted the runway surface after main gear touchdown. The fuselage area beneath the forward accessory compartment was damaged and the pressure vessel compromised in this same area.
As the FAA filed it
N720CK LANDED ON RUNWAY 4 WITH THE NOSE WHEEL UP AT TUSCALOOSA REGIONAL AIRPORT (KTCL). ALL THREE FLIGHT CREW AND ONE MECHANIC EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE VIA THE L1 DOOR.
THE AIRPLANE WAS INBOUND FROM LAREDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KLRD), OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISION 14 CFR PART 121 AS ON-DEMAND SUPPLEMENTAL ALL-CARGO. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
TUSCALOOSA REGIONAL AIRPORT HAD BEEN LANDING RUNWAY 22. WITH THE TOWER CLOSING, THE CREW WAS GIVEN THE OPTION FOR A LANDING RUNWAY. BIRMINGHAM APPROACH REPORTED WINDS AT 200 AT 4 KNOTS AND THE CREW DECIDED TO LAND RUNWAY 4, WHICH WAS A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH. THE TUSCALOOSA CONTROL TOWER CLOSED AT 8P.M. (CST) AND THE CREW?S LAST COMMUNICATION WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL WAS AT 8:01P.M. WHEN THEY WERE TOLD BY BIRMINGHAM APPROACH CONTROL TO REPORT IFR CANCELLATION AND CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 4 AT APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT.
BASED ON INTERVIEWS AND STATEMENTS MADE BY THE FLIGHT CREW, THE AIRCRAFT HAD A (RED) NOSE GEAR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE LANDING GEAR LEVER WAS SELECTED DOWN. THE (GREEN) NOSE GEAR LIGHT THAT CONFIRMS THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SHOWED TWO GREEN DOWN AND LOCK LIGHTS.
UPON SELECTION OF LANDING FLAPS THE GEAR HORN SOUNDED. ABNORMAL CHECKLISTS FOR ?LANDING GEAR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED? AND ?GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHTS EXTINGUISHED WITH GEAR LEVER DOWN? WERE NOT ACCOMPLISHED PRIOR TO LANDING. THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT AT MANUAL NOSE GEAR EXTENSION. NO EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.
THE FIRST OFFICER (PILOT NOT FLYING) ISSUED CALLS FOR A GO AROUND AND THE FLIGHT ENGINEER CALLED FOR CYCLING OF THE LANDING GEAR. THE CAPTAIN (PILOT FLYING) DID NOT GO AROUND.
THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN MAIN GEAR FIRST. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR REMAINED IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. AS THE CAPTAIN LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE FORWARD LOWER FUSELAGE CONTACTED THE RUNWAY AT THE 4,659? MARK SKIDDING 1,382? WITH 458? REMAINING FROM THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO THE END OF RUNWAY 4.
DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT INCLUDES NOSE GEAR DOORS AND LOWER FUSELAGE FORWARD AND AFT OF THE NOSE GEAR DOORS. BOTH AREAS CONTACTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE AFTER MAIN GEAR TOUCHDOWN. THE FUSELAGE AREA BENEATH THE FORWARD ACCESSORY COMPARTMENT WAS DAMAGED AND THE PRESSURE VESSEL COMPROMISED IN THIS SAME AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N720CK · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.