What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 12/15/2019 at approximatly 1000 hours pilot took off from gge (Georgetown, SC) to practice a couple of touch and go procedures before departing on a trip. After takeoff the gear retracted normally. On the first downwind the pilot lowered the gear down switch, the green light did not come on. He recycled the gear approximatly 8 times. He also verified the green down light was good. The pilot called the FBO on the radio and reported the problem and told them he wanted to do a low slow flight by the FBO for a visual look to see if the gear was down. privacy data omitted From the FBO reported that the nose and main gear looked down and good. Pilot recycled the gear several more times and still no green light. Pilot decided to land on RW29, one of the seldom used runways. Pilot approached with full flap. On touch down the nose wheel collapsed.
Inspector privacy data omitted traveled to gge to witness the lifting of the aircraft. Once the nose gear was off the ground the mechanic verified the nose gear would not lock into the down position. The gear would swing thru full rotation but the hooks would not lock onto the hook pin. The mechanics could not rotate the hooks by hand or with the help of standard hand tools. Further disassembly was not performed at this time due to hangar space and aircraft jack availability.
As the FAA filed it
ON 12/15/2019 AT APPROXIMATLY 1000 HOURS PILOT TOOK OFF FROM GGE (GEORGETOWN, SC) TO PRACTICE A COUPLE OF TOUCH AND GO PROCEDURES BEFORE DEPARTING ON A TRIP. AFTER TAKEOFF THE GEAR RETRACTED NORMALLY. ON THE FIRST DOWNWIND THE PILOT LOWERED THE GEAR DOWN SWITCH, THE GREEN LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. HE RECYCLED THE GEAR APPROXIMATLY 8 TIMES. HE ALSO VERIFIED THE GREEN DOWN LIGHT WAS GOOD. THE PILOT CALLED THE FBO ON THE RADIO AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM AND TOLD THEM HE WANTED TO DO A LOW SLOW FLIGHT BY THE FBO FOR A VISUAL LOOK TO SEE IF THE GEAR WAS DOWN. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM THE FBO REPORTED THAT THE NOSE AND MAIN GEAR LOOKED DOWN AND GOOD. PILOT RECYCLED THE GEAR SEVERAL MORE TIMES AND STILL NO GREEN LIGHT. PILOT DECIDED TO LAND ON RW29, ONE OF THE SELDOM USED RUNWAYS. PILOT APPROACHED WITH FULL FLAP. ON TOUCH DOWN THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED.
INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRAVELED TO GGE TO WITNESS THE LIFTING OF THE AIRCRAFT. ONCE THE NOSE GEAR WAS OFF THE GROUND THE MECHANIC VERIFIED THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT LOCK INTO THE DOWN POSITION. THE GEAR WOULD SWING THRU FULL ROTATION BUT THE HOOKS WOULD NOT LOCK ONTO THE HOOK PIN. THE MECHANICS COULD NOT ROTATE THE HOOKS BY HAND OR WITH THE HELP OF STANDARD HAND TOOLS. FURTHER DISASSEMBLY WAS NOT PERFORMED AT THIS TIME DUE TO HANGAR SPACE AND AIRCRAFT JACK AVAILABILITY.
Other reports on N732XT · 1
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