What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 03, 2021 at 1440 local time, an experimental seawind 3000 amphibious aircraft, N8UU, privacy data omittedoperated by a private pilot, received minor damage during landing with the nose gear retracted at the schoolcraft county airport (isq), manistique, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The personal cross country flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The flight originated from lincoln, Nebraska approximately 2 hours prior to the incident.
According to the pilot, during the pre-landing procedures the hydraulically operated nose gear would not extend for unknown reasons. He made the decision to land with the main gear down and locked and allow the bow keel to drag on the runway surface. Once the aircraft came to a stop he received assistance from airport personnel to manually extend and lock the nose gear. The pilot also stated the only damage was minor scraping of the fiberglass on the hull and he found the hydraulic fluid reservoir to be almost empty. The pilot?s intention was to locally procure hydraulic fluid to replenish the reservoir, fuel the aircraft, and continue his flight to boyne city, Michigan. At this time, it was suggested by the investigator that the pilot should fly the remainder of his trip with the landing gear down and locked to prevent another landing gear issue at his destination. The pilot stated this was a ?good idea? And agreed he would fly the remainder of the trip below minimum gear extension speed and keep the gear down.
Weather was not a factor in this incident.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 03, 2021 AT 1440 LOCAL TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL SEAWIND 3000 AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT, N8UU, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE DURING LANDING WITH THE NOSE GEAR RETRACTED AT THE SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY AIRPORT (ISQ), MANISTIQUE, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LINCOLN, NEBRASKA APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING THE PRE-LANDING PROCEDURES THE HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. HE MADE THE DECISION TO LAND WITH THE MAIN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED AND ALLOW THE BOW KEEL TO DRAG ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP HE RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM AIRPORT PERSONNEL TO MANUALLY EXTEND AND LOCK THE NOSE GEAR. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS MINOR SCRAPING OF THE FIBERGLASS ON THE HULL AND HE FOUND THE HYDRAULIC FLUID RESERVOIR TO BE ALMOST EMPTY. THE PILOT?S INTENTION WAS TO LOCALLY PROCURE HYDRAULIC FLUID TO REPLENISH THE RESERVOIR, FUEL THE AIRCRAFT, AND CONTINUE HIS FLIGHT TO BOYNE CITY, MICHIGAN. AT THIS TIME, IT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE INVESTIGATOR THAT THE PILOT SHOULD FLY THE REMAINDER OF HIS TRIP WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED TO PREVENT ANOTHER LANDING GEAR ISSUE AT HIS DESTINATION. THE PILOT STATED THIS WAS A ?GOOD IDEA? AND AGREED HE WOULD FLY THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP BELOW MINIMUM GEAR EXTENSION SPEED AND KEEP THE GEAR DOWN.
WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT.
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 N8UU · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.