What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft N69694 is a Textron aircraft model 310Q, serial number 310Q0924 privacy data omitted. The aircraft departed cherokee municipal airport (4O5) cherokee, ok on March 01, 2022 at approximately 1500 local time for a flight to Miami County Airport (K81) Paola, KS.
After takeoff the landing gear was retracted and during the last several seconds of the retraction cycle the pilot heard a bang in the nose area of the aircraft. The nose landing gear seemed to retract into the nose wheel well more harshly than normal.
During the descent the landing gear was lowered with no unusual noises. The main gear indicated green for the main gear being down and locked but the nose gear did not indicate down and locked. The pilot cycled the landing gear several times in an attempt to get the nose gear to indicate green with no success. When the nose gear failed to indicate down and locked the emergency gear extension was completed. This procedure also failed to change the gear indications of main gear green and nose gear red, indicating the nose gear was not safe.
The pilot circled the airport several times while completing the checklists and briefing the passenger on emergency procedures. After the main gear was on the runway the pilot lowered the nose gear and didn?t feel any support, so he raised the nose of the aircraft up and placed both engine?s mixture controls to idle/cutoff to attempt to stop the engines. He then let the nose settle to the runway very gently until contact was established. Directional control of the aircraft was maintained until it had come to a complete stop.
The aircraft was lifted off the surface of the runway using support straps. When the aircraft was lifted the nose gear extended but would not lock into place. The nose gear was secured in the down position by the means of angle steel and ratchet straps. The aircraft was then towed off the runway and secured on tie down at Miami County Airport.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT N69694 IS A TEXTRON AIRCRAFT MODEL 310Q, SERIAL NUMBER 310Q0924 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CHEROKEE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (4O5) CHEROKEE, OK ON MARCH 01, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 LOCAL TIME FOR A FLIGHT TO MIAMI COUNTY AIRPORT (K81) PAOLA, KS.
AFTER TAKEOFF THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED AND DURING THE LAST SEVERAL SECONDS OF THE RETRACTION CYCLE THE PILOT HEARD A BANG IN THE NOSE AREA OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR SEEMED TO RETRACT INTO THE NOSE WHEEL WELL MORE HARSHLY THAN NORMAL.
DURING THE DESCENT THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED WITH NO UNUSUAL NOISES. THE MAIN GEAR INDICATED GREEN FOR THE MAIN GEAR BEING DOWN AND LOCKED BUT THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PILOT CYCLED THE LANDING GEAR SEVERAL TIMES IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE NOSE GEAR TO INDICATE GREEN WITH NO SUCCESS. WHEN THE NOSE GEAR FAILED TO INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION WAS COMPLETED. THIS PROCEDURE ALSO FAILED TO CHANGE THE GEAR INDICATIONS OF MAIN GEAR GREEN AND NOSE GEAR RED, INDICATING THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT SAFE.
THE PILOT CIRCLED THE AIRPORT SEVERAL TIMES WHILE COMPLETING THE CHECKLISTS AND BRIEFING THE PASSENGER ON EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. AFTER THE MAIN GEAR WAS ON THE RUNWAY THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE GEAR AND DIDN?T FEEL ANY SUPPORT, SO HE RAISED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT UP AND PLACED BOTH ENGINE?S MIXTURE CONTROLS TO IDLE/CUTOFF TO ATTEMPT TO STOP THE ENGINES. HE THEN LET THE NOSE SETTLE TO THE RUNWAY VERY GENTLY UNTIL CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS MAINTAINED UNTIL IT HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED OFF THE SURFACE OF THE RUNWAY USING SUPPORT STRAPS. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED THE NOSE GEAR EXTENDED BUT WOULD NOT LOCK INTO PLACE. THE NOSE GEAR WAS SECURED IN THE DOWN POSITION BY THE MEANS OF ANGLE STEEL AND RATCHET STRAPS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN TOWED OFF THE RUNWAY AND SECURED ON TIE DOWN AT MIAMI COUNTY AIRPORT.