What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a multiengine training flight, the student, who is a rated asel commercial pilot, reported a normal traffic pattern at approach. The pilot stated the he extended the landing gear at midfield and noted 3 green lights and one main visible in the mirror. The pilot stated that the remainder of the landing was normal, landing on the mains first, then the nose. He also stated that upon lowering the nose wheel, there was no "resistance" and the nose contacted the ground. The CFI then took control to keep the aircraft on the runway.
The maintenance records showed that an adjustment was made to the nose gear downlock switch due to a gear unsafe indication earlier in the day, but no damage to the downlock was reported or noted.
Upon inspection of the nose land gear it appeared that the down lock was broken due to a shock load from a hard impact.
A witness stated the he saw the aircraft land and it appeared that it may have stalled a few feet above the ground during flare and landed hard on the main gear, which then forced the nose gear to have a hard imapct with the ground breaking the nose gear down lock.
As the FAA filed it
DURING A MULTIENGINE TRAINING FLIGHT, THE STUDENT, WHO IS A RATED ASEL COMMERCIAL PILOT, REPORTED A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN AT APPROACH. THE PILOT STATED THE HE EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AT MIDFIELD AND NOTED 3 GREEN LIGHTS AND ONE MAIN VISIBLE IN THE MIRROR. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE REMAINDER OF THE LANDING WAS NORMAL, LANDING ON THE MAINS FIRST, THEN THE NOSE. HE ALSO STATED THAT UPON LOWERING THE NOSE WHEEL, THERE WAS NO "RESISTANCE" AND THE NOSE CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE CFI THEN TOOK CONTROL TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY.
THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWED THAT AN ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE TO THE NOSE GEAR DOWNLOCK SWITCH DUE TO A GEAR UNSAFE INDICATION EARLIER IN THE DAY, BUT NO DAMAGE TO THE DOWNLOCK WAS REPORTED OR NOTED.
UPON INSPECTION OF THE NOSE LAND GEAR IT APPEARED THAT THE DOWN LOCK WAS BROKEN DUE TO A SHOCK LOAD FROM A HARD IMPACT.
A WITNESS STATED THE HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT LAND AND IT APPEARED THAT IT MAY HAVE STALLED A FEW FEET ABOVE THE GROUND DURING FLARE AND LANDED HARD ON THE MAIN GEAR, WHICH THEN FORCED THE NOSE GEAR TO HAVE A HARD IMAPCT WITH THE GROUND BREAKING THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK.
Other reports on N3020M · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.