What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 27, 2019, at approximately 1:45 p.m. eastern daylight time, a 1986 Socata, model TB-20 trinidad with registration N20KP, sustained minor damaged as a result of a gear up landing at the Athens-ben epps airport (kahn) in Athens, Georgia. There were three people on board with no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. This was a personal flight being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
The pilot in command (PIC) stated that he had departed tuscaloosa, Alabama at 10:30 a.m. EST on July 27, 2019 and was headed to Athens, GA. On arrival to kahn the aircraft was cleared to land on runway 09 when suddenly the PIC noticed an unsafe landing gear (ldg) indication. When he selected gear down, no green gear lights were noted, only a red unsafe light. The PIC notified the tower of the situation and requested a hold until he could work through the situation. Immediately the aircraft operations manual was reviewed for the emergency gear extension procedures and inflight maneuvers to try and unlock the gear. The emergency gear extension checklist called for pulling the emergency gear release knob. Upon pulling the knob the cable became detached and was completely pulled out by hand. The PIC then requested a low approach from the tower to check for gear extension, and it was observed that the main gear was fully extended but the nose gear was only extended approximately 20 degrees. Next, the PIC received clearance from the tower to perform a touch and go landing on the main gear in attempt to unlock the nose gear. One attempt was made with no success as the aircraft was given final approval to land on rwy 02. On landing the aircraft touched down on the mains and as the nose gear made contact it immediately collapsed causing minor damage to the bottom of the engine cowling and propeller. Finally, as the aircraft came to rest on the runway the crew initiated an emergency evacuation with no injuries reported.
On Thursday August 1, 2019 an FAA inspector from the atlanta FSDO along with an investigator with daher aircraft inc. travelled to the Athens-ben epps airport to perform an assessment of the aircraft damage and to determine the root cause of the incident. Initial assessment of the aircraft revealed minor damage to the bottom of the engine cowling due to the aircraft sliding on the pavement and collapsed nose gear. Additionally, there was damage to the outer edges of the propeller as a result of it striking the ground on landing. Further assessment discovered a fuel leak on the right fuel sump, a dent in the propeller cone, crazed rear passenger window and the propeller governor command stuck and inoperable. These items appeared to be the result of maintenance neglect. Next a decision was made to put the aircraft on jacks to perform an operational check of the ldg system. To get started it was noticed that the ldg pump was completely empty of hydraulic fluid so it was immediately filled with 5606 fluid. As the gear was cycled through multiple times, the landing gear pump would cycle on & off every 5 seconds. This cycling was attributed to a leaking an fitting on the ldg pump. An examination of the area where the leak was occurring revealed evidence that this was an older leak due to evidence showing this area had been previously cleaned (wiping marks). Lastly, a complete inspection of the ldg system was conducted, and the following discrepancies were noted:
? All 3 ldg are lacking lubrication and a squealing noise from different components can be heard during operation.
? Main ldg compensation springs are weak.
? Nose gear compensation actuators are weak.
? One ldg travel rubber stops was missing and two of the three were totally worn out.
Once again these discovered discrepancies were the result of poor or lack of maintenance.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 27, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 1:45 P.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A 1986 SOCATA, MODEL TB-20 TRINIDAD WITH REGISTRATION N20KP, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF A GEAR UP LANDING AT THE ATHENS-BEN EPPS AIRPORT (KAHN) IN ATHENS, GEORGIA. THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE ON BOARD WITH NO INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THIS WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA AT 10:30 A.M. EST ON JULY 27, 2019 AND WAS HEADED TO ATHENS, GA. ON ARRIVAL TO KAHN THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 09 WHEN SUDDENLY THE PIC NOTICED AN UNSAFE LANDING GEAR (LDG) INDICATION. WHEN HE SELECTED GEAR DOWN, NO GREEN GEAR LIGHTS WERE NOTED, ONLY A RED UNSAFE LIGHT. THE PIC NOTIFIED THE TOWER OF THE SITUATION AND REQUESTED A HOLD UNTIL HE COULD WORK THROUGH THE SITUATION. IMMEDIATELY THE AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS MANUAL WAS REVIEWED FOR THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURES AND INFLIGHT MANEUVERS TO TRY AND UNLOCK THE GEAR. THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION CHECKLIST CALLED FOR PULLING THE EMERGENCY GEAR RELEASE KNOB. UPON PULLING THE KNOB THE CABLE BECAME DETACHED AND WAS COMPLETELY PULLED OUT BY HAND. THE PIC THEN REQUESTED A LOW APPROACH FROM THE TOWER TO CHECK FOR GEAR EXTENSION, AND IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE MAIN GEAR WAS FULLY EXTENDED BUT THE NOSE GEAR WAS ONLY EXTENDED APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES. NEXT, THE PIC RECEIVED CLEARANCE FROM THE TOWER TO PERFORM A TOUCH AND GO LANDING ON THE MAIN GEAR IN ATTEMPT TO UNLOCK THE NOSE GEAR. ONE ATTEMPT WAS MADE WITH NO SUCCESS AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS GIVEN FINAL APPROVAL TO LAND ON RWY 02. ON LANDING THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAINS AND AS THE NOSE GEAR MADE CONTACT IT IMMEDIATELY COLLAPSED CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COWLING AND PROPELLER. FINALLY, AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE RUNWAY THE CREW INITIATED AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION WITH NO INJURIES REPORTED.
ON THURSDAY AUGUST 1, 2019 AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO ALONG WITH AN INVESTIGATOR WITH DAHER AIRCRAFT INC. TRAVELLED TO THE ATHENS-BEN EPPS AIRPORT TO PERFORM AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COWLING DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT SLIDING ON THE PAVEMENT AND COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE OUTER EDGES OF THE PROPELLER AS A RESULT OF IT STRIKING THE GROUND ON LANDING. FURTHER ASSESSMENT DISCOVERED A FUEL LEAK ON THE RIGHT FUEL SUMP, A DENT IN THE PROPELLER CONE, CRAZED REAR PASSENGER WINDOW AND THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR COMMAND STUCK AND INOPERABLE. THESE ITEMS APPEARED TO BE THE RESULT OF MAINTENANCE NEGLECT. NEXT A DECISION WAS MADE TO PUT THE AIRCRAFT ON JACKS TO PERFORM AN OPERATIONAL CHECK OF THE LDG SYSTEM. TO GET STARTED IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE LDG PUMP WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY OF HYDRAULIC FLUID SO IT WAS IMMEDIATELY FILLED WITH 5606 FLUID. AS THE GEAR WAS CYCLED THROUGH MULTIPLE TIMES, THE LANDING GEAR PUMP WOULD CYCLE ON & OFF EVERY 5 SECONDS. THIS CYCLING WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A LEAKING AN FITTING ON THE LDG PUMP. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AREA WHERE THE LEAK WAS OCCURRING REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THIS WAS AN OLDER LEAK DUE TO EVIDENCE SHOWING THIS AREA HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLEANED (WIPING MARKS). LASTLY, A COMPLETE INSPECTION OF THE LDG SYSTEM WAS CONDUCTED, AND THE FOLLOWING DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED:
? ALL 3 LDG ARE LACKING LUBRICATION AND A SQUEALING NOISE FROM DIFFERENT COMPONENTS CAN BE HEARD DURING OPERATION.
? MAIN LDG COMPENSATION SPRINGS ARE WEAK.
? NOSE GEAR COMPENSATION ACTUATORS ARE WEAK.
? ONE LDG TRAVEL RUBBER STOPS WAS MISSING AND TWO OF THE THREE WERE TOTALLY WORN OUT.
ONCE AGAIN THESE DISCOVERED DISCREPANCIES WERE THE RESULT OF POOR OR LACK OF MAINTENANCE.