20210719008699I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Ft. Lauderdale, FL · July 19, 2021

Date
July 19, 2021 · 19:15 local
Place
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Airport
Ft.Lauderdale Executive Airpor
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
1AZA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4118B
Reported as
Piper PA-31-350
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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 an empty leg from freeport (mygf) to bimini (mybs) the pilot noted an issue with the landing gear. Emergency gear extension procedures failed to rectify the issue. Pilot contacted company operations at Ft. Lauderdale executive (fxe) who advised a return to fxe (home base) as more airport services are available. Pilot contacted miami center, declared emergency, and headed direct fxe. On final approach to runway 9 pilot noted both main gears indicated down with an unsafe indication for the nose gear but noted in fixed mirror as partially extended. The aircraft landed on runway 9 collapsing onto to the nose section of the aircraft. The aircraft received damage to the nose area, gear doors with minor damage to the propellers. The pilot sustained no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

ON AN EMPTY LEG FROM FREEPORT (MYGF) TO BIMINI (MYBS) THE PILOT NOTED AN ISSUE WITH THE LANDING GEAR. EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURES FAILED TO RECTIFY THE ISSUE. PILOT CONTACTED COMPANY OPERATIONS AT FT. LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE (FXE) WHO ADVISED A RETURN TO FXE (HOME BASE) AS MORE AIRPORT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE. PILOT CONTACTED MIAMI CENTER, DECLARED EMERGENCY, AND HEADED DIRECT FXE. ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 9 PILOT NOTED BOTH MAIN GEARS INDICATED DOWN WITH AN UNSAFE INDICATION FOR THE NOSE GEAR BUT NOTED IN FIXED MIRROR AS PARTIALLY EXTENDED. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 9 COLLAPSING ONTO TO THE NOSE SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE AREA, GEAR DOORS WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLERS. THE PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES.