20190317001509I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Riley Mark T VELOCITY XL5-RG · Coatesville, PA · March 17, 2019

Date
March 17, 2019 · 15:27 local
Place
Coatesville, PA
Airport
Chester County G.O. Carlson Ai
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N929X
Reported as
Riley Mark T Velocity XL5-RG
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-L1B5D
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
455 total272 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On March 17, 2019, an experimental amateur built aircraft took off at uza, with destination, mqs. Approximately 30 minutes from arrival at mqs, the landing gear electric hydraulic pump activated (light on) and stayed on. The pilot pushed the reset button, however the pump remained on. The circuit breaker for the pump was then reset, however the pump remained on. The pilot then decided to pull the circuit breaker and continue the flight. At approximately 10 minutes from the destination, the pilot attempted to reset the pulled landing gear pump circuit breaker, which immediately tripped (would not reset). 5 miles from the airport, the pilot actuated the emergency dump valve; the MLG down/locked light illuminated, however the NLG down/locked light remained extinguished. The pilot performed high g maneuvers in attempt to illuminate light, without success. The pilot executed a low pass over mqs, with observers, to ascertain if the gear was down. The nose gear appeared to be completely down. Upon landing, the MLG remained down and locked, however the NLG collapsed after contact with the runway. The occupants (PIC, 1 passenger) exited the aircraft after it came to a stop. They lifted the aircraft nose, and the NLG gravity dropped and appeared to lock down. The aircraft was then pushed to the owner's hangar. No injuries were sustained, and the aircraft suffered minor damage (scrapes) to the NLG doors and adjacent areas under the nose.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 17, 2019, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AT UZA, WITH DESTINATION, MQS. APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES FROM ARRIVAL AT MQS, THE LANDING GEAR ELECTRIC HYDRAULIC PUMP ACTIVATED (LIGHT ON) AND STAYED ON. THE PILOT PUSHED THE RESET BUTTON, HOWEVER THE PUMP REMAINED ON. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE PUMP WAS THEN RESET, HOWEVER THE PUMP REMAINED ON. THE PILOT THEN DECIDED TO PULL THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND CONTINUE THE FLIGHT. AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES FROM THE DESTINATION, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESET THE PULLED LANDING GEAR PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER, WHICH IMMEDIATELY TRIPPED (WOULD NOT RESET). 5 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT ACTUATED THE EMERGENCY DUMP VALVE; THE MLG DOWN/LOCKED LIGHT ILLUMINATED, HOWEVER THE NLG DOWN/LOCKED LIGHT REMAINED EXTINGUISHED. THE PILOT PERFORMED HIGH G MANEUVERS IN ATTEMPT TO ILLUMINATE LIGHT, WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE PILOT EXECUTED A LOW PASS OVER MQS, WITH OBSERVERS, TO ASCERTAIN IF THE GEAR WAS DOWN. THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE COMPLETELY DOWN. UPON LANDING, THE MLG REMAINED DOWN AND LOCKED, HOWEVER THE NLG COLLAPSED AFTER CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE OCCUPANTS (PIC, 1 PASSENGER) EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT CAME TO A STOP. THEY LIFTED THE AIRCRAFT NOSE, AND THE NLG GRAVITY DROPPED AND APPEARED TO LOCK DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN PUSHED TO THE OWNER'S HANGAR. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, AND THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE (SCRAPES) TO THE NLG DOORS AND ADJACENT AREAS UNDER THE NOSE.